Aristocracy
by CharlieBoneFan
Summary: Haru is a peasant. Baron is a nobleman. They both meet and sparks fly instantly for Baron. Can Haru help Baron with his family's secret? Can she make it in the upper class? BaronxHaru.
1. A Noble Baron

**A/N: I have been in this phase where I have read nothing but Cat Returns stories. I saw this picture, the cover picture for this story, and was inspired to write a story based off of it. It will be my first Cat Returns story so bear with me. Also, this is a sort of old-fashioned and modernized mix of a story. Second, I am not wasting my time looking up European Currency, so I am going to use American Currency. I know it lowers the quality of the story but oh well. Deal with it.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Cat Returns.**

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In the streets of some random city in England, there was young girl of the age of eighteen. The girl, Haru, was walking down the cobblestone streets examining the vendors. Some of the passing upper class women and men sneered at the girl in disgust as she brushed past them to get to each wooden stall. Haru was dressed in a blue trench coat that covered her red button up shirt. A small red patch was noticeable on the bottom back of the fabric. She had a pair of tan riding pants on, that also adorned a patch, and brown leather boots that reached mid shin to cover her feet. Not unnoticed by some, she also had a pair of fingerless gloves on, and a short haircut that was a little uneven to prove her lack of money. However, it wasn't that the people minded that she was a commoner, even though most upper class men and women minded that fact about her, it was mostly the way she dressed that disgusted people. No women should ever dress like a man, no matter how flattering and girly she made the outfit seem. Girls were supposed to wear dresses, even if they were poor.

Haru, nevertheless, didn't care or didn't notice how others viewed her. She was a commoner through and through. Nothing would change that, and she could dress however she pleased as long as it was comfortable.

Caught up in inspecting the variables of each vendor, Haru finally sighed after seeing nothing to catch her interest. She looked up to look around to see if she missed a stall, only to notice the upper classmen and women staring at her coldly. Sure, there were other commoners, or peasants as the noblemen would say, around but all glares seemed to be directed at her. Haru blushed under everyone's gazes and ducked away to cross the street. Expertly, dodging horses and their carriages, Haru blended in with the crowd on the other side. She began scanning the contents that those vendors offered as well.

Haru almost finished looking at all the stalls, but before she could finish, the owner of the stall she was currently looking at told her it was getting late and almost time to close up. Haru thanked the man for kindly letting her know the time. She decided one more stall couldn't hurt her though. The crowd had died away by now, but there were still a few stragglers including her.

Upon reaching the next stall, Haru could immediately tell it was different than all the others. It looked expensive, but maybe with the small amount of money Haru saved she could buy something nice for herself. The small table set out was covered in pieces of jewelry. Haru was never the one for jewelry. But because her ears were pierced, maybe she could actually get something to wear. After a few seconds of scanning the ware, Haru's eyes landed on a small pair of simple gold hoops. They didn't look too expensive.

"Sir, if I may, how much are these gold hoops?" Haru asked the man tending to the stall. He smiled, it was obviously forced.

"Only ten dollars, miss" the man said. Sure, ten dollars didn't sound like much, but for most people that lived in the lower class of society, that amount of money was equal to an arm and a leg.

"May I try them on before I come to a decision?" Haru asked politely. The man forced another smile. He obviously didn't think she had enough money to buy the jewelry. Nonetheless, he nodded his head in approval. Haru smiled in thanks before picking up the two circles of gold and fastening them onto her ears. Since there was no mirror around, Haru dug through her pocket and pulled out a gold pocket watch, the only thing left she had of her father. She smiled at her reflection in the glass while examining her ears. Someone cleared their throat behind her. Haru spun around to see a man in his early to mid-twenties.

This man…no, this aristocrat was wearing a light grey suit, so light it almost looked like an off white or cream. He had a red vest on underneath and a blue bowtie around his neck. On his head was a top hat and in his hand was a cane. His emerald green eyes shone powerfully out from under the brim of his hat. His tawny colored hair shone in the light of the setting sun.

"If I might say, you look quite fetching" the man said courteously. Haru's cheeks turned a light pink from the compliment. It was not only because he was a nobleman, but also because he was quite handsome.

"T-T-Thank you, sir" Haru said with a small curtsy before spinning back around to face the jeweler. "I think I'll take the pair." The man shook his head and stuck his hand out for the money. Haru hastily dug into her pocket to pull out a small change purse. She unclipped it to pull out a few dollars and coins. "Here you are."

The jeweler counted the money then frowned. "You are two dollars short, miss" he said tightly. Haru's eyes widened. She went to pull out a few more coins, but a hand shot past her to drop some money into the jeweler's hand. Haru gasped and looked behind her to see the nobleman still standing behind her. He watched her expression curiously. "S-Sir! I can't have you do that. I can pay for it on my own. I do not wish to be in your debt, no matter how grateful I am. I simply can't afford it" Haru said in a panic. She hated telling people she didn't have money. She wasn't dirt poor like some because she got by, but she didn't have enough money to be considered middle class either.

"I only wish for one thing from you in return" the man said slowly. "I swear on my honor that it is nothing big." Haru could only nod. She nervously bit her bottom lip. She hoped what he wanted was something she could do.

"What is it that you need, good sir?" The corners of the man's mouth twitched into a smile. He bowed to her with the cane pressed to his chest. Haru blushed again. Why was such an upper class man like himself, bowing to a peasant like her?

"All I wish is to be graced with the knowledge of your name" the stranger said simply. Haru stared at him in surprise.

"M-M-My name? You just want to know my n-name?" Haru stuttered in disbelief. He wasn't asking her to do something highly unreasonable? Why? The man nodded his head at Haru.

"Pardon me, I am Baron Humbert von Gikkingen." the man said swiftly in embarrassment for not introducing himself earlier. He began to nervously twist the gold ring on his gloved covered hand. The gold ring held a greenish-black gem on top.

"It is a pleasure to meet you Baron von Gikkingen" Haru said while curtsying again and looking at her feet. She straightened herself back up to look at him. He looked displeased. Why was he upset? She made sure to use his title when saying his name.

"Please don't call me that" he said softly. Haru studied his face. He kept looking at her, but when he noticed her staring back, he'd avert his eyes.

"Alright, Humbert" Haru said cautiously as she said his first name with no formalities. He grimaced at the name.

"Please call me Baron, Miss…" the man trailed off. He rolled his eyes to look over at her.

"Haru. My name is Haru." Baron smiled.

"Haru, such a lovely and unique name" Baron said. His eyes sparkled playfully. Haru blushed once again.

"Thank you, I was named after my great grandmother."

"And I was named after my grandfather. I just wish I wasn't. Humbert isn't the most pleasant name to have or say." Haru smiled at the statement. She turned around to bow at the jeweler before turning back to Baron.

"I must be going Baron." Haru said, her eyes also glittering. "It is getting late. It was nice meeting you." Haru said with one more bow before turning to her left and heading down the cobblestone street. Baron's eyes widened.

"W-W-Wait!" Baron called out as he chased down the street after Haru. Haru turned around in surprise to see him hunch over and place his hands on his knees. His breathing was heavy from the short run. Haru giggled.

"It is not every day you see a nobleman run. It is quite amusing to see" Haru stated jokingly. Baron looked up with a grin. "Did you still have something you wanted me to do?" Haru said slowly. Biting her lip seemed like it would become a habit if she didn't stop doing it in his presence.

"Not at all, Miss Haru. I was just wondering if you would allow me to escort you home" Baron said with a tilt of his head in question. Haru took an intake of breath. He wanted to know if _she_ would allow _him_ to take _her_ home? He wanted to walk her home?! Why was this Baron guy so much different than all the other nobles?

"It would be an honor" Haru said in disbelief. Before she could do anything, Baron swiftly grabbed Haru's hand and brought it up to his lips.

"The honor is all mine" Baron said smoothly. Haru felt faint. Too much blood was rushing to her face. Haru could only nod as Baron dropped her hand. He raised an arm and offered it to Haru. Haru hesitantly took his arm and let Baron guide her through the streets.

Not wanting to think about the close proximity of her and Baron, Haru decided to focus all her attention on the surrounding buildings. Many were shops or fancy homes of aristocrats in this part of the city. Not many commoners except for some of the shop owners.

"Which way to your home?" Baron questioned as he glanced down at the shorter female clinging to his arm. She obviously didn't realize how tight she was squeezing it.

"Uh, it's all the way to the western gate of the city. I'm sorry, sir. I didn't realize it was so far. I should have warned you" Haru said regretfully. They were all the way in the eastern part of the city. Baron stiffened.

"Please, it is Baron, remember?" Baron said tensely. Haru immediately let go of Baron's arm and stepped back. She looked at Baron apologetically.

"I-I-I didn't mean to offend you…Baron" Haru said abruptly. Bran stared at Haru in shock. He didn't mean to give her the wrong impression.

"It's alright, Haru. You didn't offend me at all. I'm sorry if I gave you the idea that I was offended" Baron said softly. A look of relief crossed Haru's face. She tentatively grabbed Baron's arm once more before trudging down the street again.

Before the strange couple knew it, they reached the western gate to the city. Four guards on either side stood watch at the entrance way to the city. There were four entrances to the city all together.

"We're here" Haru said disappointedly. Baron nodded his head sadly.

"So which one is your house?" Baron asked as he scanned the surrounding buildings. They weren't upper class, but they weren't top notch either. Not that it mattered to Baron. Haru ignored Baron's question and slipped away from him to head towards an alleyway. "Haru! Where are you going?"

"Home" Haru said simply before blending in with the shadows of the alley. Baron jogged over to the alley to look in. It was a short alleyway that led to a dead end. Where'd she go?

"Until next time, Miss Haru!" Baron called out. He sighed and turned around to run into somebody…a large somebody. Baron backed up to look at him with a glare.

"Why are you following me, Muta?" Baron said lowly. The large man, Muta, sighed.

"You know very well why I am following you" Muta said gruffly. "Toto, come out. We need to escort Baron home _now_." A raven haired man stepped out from the shadows of the edge of a house. He calmly stepped over to stand beside Muta.

"I don't need to be escorted home" Baron said stubbornly. He tipped his top hat to the two men before heading back the way he came. The only light to light his path was a few streetlights and the moon. Footsteps clambered after the baron.

"We are your bodyguards for a reason" Toto snapped. "There are thieves out here. You could get robbed at any moment. Some of these people are so desperate that they'll do anything nowadays." Baron spun around on heel.

"May I enlighten you, Toto, on what my family business is again? Even though you should well know the answer since you are my best friend along with Muta. I never asked for you two to become my bodyguards" Baron hissed.

Toto sighed at Baron's response. "Yes, yes. You're family owns orphanages across all of England along with homes for the homeless until they can find work and a place to live. You think all peasants have potential. You believe that even if you get robbed than it is for the best, but Baron, sometimes those petty thieves resort to violence. We can't have you getting hurt. We also can't have the 'you know what' getting stolen" Toto whispered harshly.

"What, birdbrain said. Now come on" Muta said while grabbing one of Baron's arms and dragging him off to the eastern end of town where the upper class of the city mostly lived.

"Hey!" Toto started to protest. Baron stayed silent.

They reached Baron's mansion in no time. Once at the door, Baron yanked his arm away and stomped up the steps. He opened the door with a rough jerk and slammed it shut behind him. A young servant girl quickly rushed to the door.

"Welcome home, master" the girl said before giving a deep bow. Baron tipped his hat to her politely before taking off to the parlor room. He sat down on the settee in the room and poured himself a cup of tea.

"Baron!" Toto roared. Heavy footsteps sounded in the hall. Toto burst in the room with Muta hot on his heels.

"We have been following you all day. We saw you with that commoner" Muta growled. Baron stood up abruptly to glare at his friends/bodyguards.

"Haru is not to be labeled like that" Baron said darkly.

"Oh, you're on a first name basis now. Well that is all the farther you will be getting, Baron!" Toto shouted.

"Why is that?!"

"You know why. Unless you plan on marrying the peasant girl, then you should break your bond before she gets the wrong idea. And if you plan on courting her, then I suggest you make sure she can be trusted completely. For all we know, she could be a member of a group of thieves" Toto sneered.

"Stop labeling her. Haru would never do anything so vile. She is sweet, independent, kind, beautiful…" Baron trailed off. Toto looked at Baron in astonishment.

"How would you know?! You only met her four hours ago! Baron, please, fatso over there and I are only trying to protect you" Toto whined. Muta ignored the insult and looked at Baron wistfully.

"You love her already, don't you?" he said quietly but bluntly. Baron looked away and sat back down, taking a sip of his own blend of tea.

"No" Toto said in denial. He slammed a fist into the wall before walking out of the room. Muta only glanced back at his friend before following the skinnier man out.

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**A/N: How was it for the first chapter? Horrible, I know. I hope it was okay enough, however, to maybe read the next chapter. **_**PLEASE**_** review or flame.**


	2. Stalker

Haru gracefully slipped between the people in the crowd with ease. It was second nature for a commoner like her, at least one as poor as her. She had to fend for herself no matter what so that meant learning to make it in society.

After paying the baker for a loaf of bread, Haru took her change and placed the baguette in her basket. Besides the freshly made baguette, inside the basket was a slab of beef. Haru started to hum a tune as she made her way to the market. She picked out a few potatoes and other assorted vegetables. Haru paid the man behind the stall and walked off with her purchases. Her mom would be so pleased. Because Baron paid the remaining amount she owned the man for her earrings, Haru had a little extra money to buy more food.

Haru had just reached the western gate to head home, but a gloved hand shot out in front of her to stop her in her tracks. "Excuse me, I would like to pass, sir" Haru said while looking down at the ground. She could see the fancy dress shoes that men wore with their suits. This man was obviously from the upper class. She couldn't look the man in the eye or he might hurt her or yell at her for not being polite.

"May I help you with your basket, Miss?" a familiar voice said. Haru looked up in shock to see Baron standing in front of her.

"Oh, I-I don't need any…help" Haru said lamely. Baron chuckled.

"As you wish." Baron glanced down at the brunette in front of him. She was so short compared to him. The top of her head only reached his shoulders. He never realized how tall he was compared to some people. Or maybe it was because Haru didn't get the nutrition she should? No, she didn't look that poor. Haru blushed under his intense gaze and turned her attention to something else. Baron began to say something, but she cut him off as something caught her eye.

"You know what, here!" Haru said as she shoved her basket into Baron's hands. He was surprised, so he fumbled to get a grip on the basket and his cane. Haru rushed over to the edge of the street. She quickly looked both ways and crossed the busy street. Carriages rushed at her from both directions, but Haru glided by them at the perfect time. She obviously had a lot of practice.

On the other side of the street, Haru bent down to watch a cat. It was trying to cross the street, but it kept jumping back when a horse trotted past. Haru shook her head with amusement and shuffled over to the dark grey cat. She held her hand out for the cat to sniff and inspect. It abruptly pressed its face against Haru's hand and began to rub against it. Haru giggled and petted the cat by dragging her hand across its back. She gently picked the feline up and grabbed a small box off the ground. She tucked it in her pocket and crossed the street again. Baron walked over in long strides to her.

"Isn't he so handsome?" Haru gushed to Baron as she held up the cat. It looked at him with mismatched eyes. Slowly, the cat's eyes drifted downward like it was in a trance. Its gaze landed on the gold ring right on Baron's right hand. Baron rubbed the ring uneasily. Haru drew the cat closer and snuggled with it. The cat meowed and licked her cheek. Almost as if understanding the cat, Haru nodded her head and put the feline down. As she put the cat down, Baron noticed the gold collar on its neck for the first time. It must belong to a noble family. Haru pulled the small box out from her pocket and tied a handkerchief around it.

"There you go, Lune. Now it will be easier to carry. I hope whoever you choose likes it" Haru said to the cat as she set the box down in front of it. The cat nodded its head. It opened its mouth and grabbed the knot on top of the box with its teeth before walking away into a crowd of people.

"Was Lune the name of the cat?" Baron asked as he watched the grey cat disappear from sight.

"Yeah…the name was on the collar" Haru said carefully. Baron could tell it was lie, but he didn't press for details even if it hurt knowing she wouldn't tell him the truth. Baron looked down at the basket sadly. There was only a day's worth of food in there.

"So were you heading home?" Baron questioned as he formed a plan in his head.

"Yes."

"Was this the only food you bought?" Baron pressed. Haru looked down dejectedly.

"I'm not a nobleman like you, Baron. I don't live in luxury. I buy what I can" Haru said in disgust. Baron grabbed one of Haru's free hands and kissed it. Haru's unhappy face grew a blush. She looked beautiful with the red tint to her cheeks.

"I did not mean to imply anything, Miss Haru. I just would be delighted to at least buy you lunch" Baron said coolly. Haru pulled her hand away to dig in one of her pockets. She took out the gold pocket watch she had the day before. She looked at it and gasped.

"I am so sorry, Baron. I just didn't realize the time. I have to get home. My mother is waiting. Maybe some other day" Haru said in a rush before snatching the wicker basket from Baron's hands and running back into the alleyway from yesterday. Baron tried to follow, but he was stopped by two men before he could even take a step forward.

"Oh no, you don't! You are not getting away from us this time" Toto said angrily. "I don't know how you keep getting out of our sight."

"It's his cat-like reflexes" Muta said sarcastically. Baron and Toto both looked at Muta unamused.

"That's not funny" Baron whispered harshly. Muta shrugged.

"I thought it was pretty good."

"Baron, we are taking you home" Toto said sternly. He was about to grab Baron's arm, but surprisingly Baron didn't put up a fight. He calmly walked in the direction of his mansion with the stature and pride of a nobleman. Toto and Muta flanked him on both sides. Once the trio reached the eastern part of town, Baron began to tip his hat to his fellow noblemen and noblewomen. They nodded back in return with a smile.

Although they didn't notice it beforehand, they noticed it now. For some strange reason, Baron had a silly grin on his face. To Toto and Muta, Baron almost looked love-struck. Wait a minute!

"Baron, did you run into that peasant girl again?" Toto asked through clenched teeth. Not one for lying, Baron simply nodded, not even noticing what Toto called Haru. His smile faltered a little, but it came back just as strongly as it was before.

"What did she say?" Muta questioned curiously. Baron's smile grew wider.

"Oh Muta, Haru is everything I ever dreamed of in a young lady. Today, she helped a cat cross a street. I could tell immediately she was smitten with the feline. She just adores cats. She also said that she'd let me take her to lunch one day" Baron said happily. Muta looked over at Toto. Toto didn't seem so pleased. He was such a birdbrain. Couldn't Toto tell that Baron was too smitten with the girl to go back? He should lighten up and give this Haru person a chance. Although, Muta did agree with Toto that Baron fell in love with her too fast. He shouldn't have given his love away so easily.

"Come on Toto, if Baron likes her, then I'm willing to give her a chance. What do you say, birdbrain?" Muta teased. Toto shot Muta an icy glare.

"Birdbrain?! Can't you think of anything else to call me, you idiot?" Toto screamed as he tackled Muta to the ground and started throwing punches. Muta fought back with punches of his own. Soon the two were running around chasing each other and rolling on the cobblestone.

"Knock it off, you two. We are in public. You can carry on your fighting when we get back home" Baron hissed as some of the upper class folk looked at the dueling men with ludicrous stares. Toto and Muta ignored their friend and continued the fight. Baron decided to ignore them and head home by himself. It wasn't his 'cat-like reflexes' that made it easy to escape his bodyguards' watch. They fought every minute they could. The blame was all on them for distracting themselves.

Walking a few more blocks brought Baron to his mansion. It wasn't as big as some of the surrounding mansions since he wasn't one for extravagance, but it was bigger than the normal upper classmen's who had no title. Baron entered his house to be greeted by the young servant, Yuki, again. Baron smiled at her before going to his room. He hung up his cane and hat on a rack in the corner. Since he was inside, Baron also removed his suit jacket. With one big breath, Baron landed on his bed in frustration. Should he wait by the western gate tomorrow to see if Haru would come, or should he wait to see if he met her by chance again? The decision was too hard. There were so many risks at stake. What if he stood there waiting forever, for her not to show? What if she did come, but wouldn't be happy to see him so soon? What if she thought he was a stalker and wanted to end their sort-of friendship? Baron was so confused.

He ran a hand through his tawny hair and took a deep breath. He pulled his hand away to stare at the gold ring on his finger. It was a family heirloom, a gold band embedded with a cat's eye gem. It always shone in the light, proving it looked like a cat's eye with its sheen. He never took it off unless it was time for a bath and even then he didn't always take it off. It meant too much of a great deal to him. Baron rolled over on his side and stared at the wall. His eyes slowly drifted shut as he fell asleep even though it was still only the middle of the afternoon.

_The next day…_

Baron was waiting by the western gate. He made his decision to go there bright and early in the morning. As the saying goes, "The early bird catches the worm." Baron definitely wanted to catch Haru as she came into the city from her home. Three hours ticked by and Baron began to give up hope that Haru would come, however, as soon as he turned to leave, Haru walked straight through the western gate. So she lived outside the city? Draped over Haru's arm seemed to be a few quilts and handkerchiefs. They were obviously made from different scrapes of fabric put together, but that fact didn't take away the elegance the blankets held. If Baron didn't know any better, he would have thought that the quilts were made by a professional.

Haru didn't notice Baron as she passed by him. Baron decided to use that to his advantage and surprise her. He followed Haru through many streets and around many corners. Baron knew Toto and Muta weren't trailing too far behind to keep watch on him. To his surprise, Haru entered the only Von Gikkingen Orphanage in the city. It wasn't too long before she emerged from the building, waving behind her to someone in the building as she left. Only the handkerchiefs remained in her hands. Soon enough, they followed Haru until they were back in the eastern part of the city. She knocked on the door of some fancy house, and a woman answered the door.

The lady flashed Haru a smile and held a hand out to her. Haru handed the lady the handkerchiefs she had in her hand. In exchange, the lady handed Haru a dollar or two. Haru pocketed the money in her change purse and bowed politely before leaving.

Baron took this as his chance and closed in on Haru. He politely tapped on her shoulder to inform her of his presence. Haru jumped and spun around. Baron chuckled at her reaction.

"Baron, what are you doing here? If I didn't know any better, then I'd say you're stalking me" Haru teased. Baron's whole face turned red.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I must confess that I sort of was, Miss Haru" Baron said bashfully. It was Haru's turn to blush.

"Oh. I was just kidding."

"I know. I just hate lying or hiding the truth from people. I had to tell you the truth" Baron stated while trying to avoid looking in the brunette's eyes. Haru was the opposite of Baron, all she could do was stare at him. "Could you stop staring at me? It's making me uncomfortable" Baron said softly.

"S-S-Sorry" Haru stuttered.

"N-No, it's my fault. I shouldn't have been so blunt with you" Baron said uncomfortably.

"It's fine" Haru said weakly.

"So, uh, you live outside of town?" Baron said in attempt to start a conversation. Apparently, the topic was a sensitive one.

"What?! You followed me home?" Haru accused in an unbelieving tone. "H-H-How could you?!" Baron's eyes widened.

"Never!" Baron answered seriously. "I would never dream of prying on someone's personal life. It is improper." Haru's expression turned to one of relief.

"I should have guessed. You are too much of a gentleman, Baron." Haru flashed Baron a smile. Baron couldn't help but beam. He held an arm out for Haru to grab.

"May I take you out to lunch now? I only followed you because I couldn't wait to see you again by chance."

"Alright" Haru complied. She took Baron's arm and let him lead her away.

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**A/N: What do you think? Can you make any assumptions about what is going on in the story? Please tell me all your opinions, whether they are good or bad.**


	3. Mother Dearest

"Where are we going to eat lunch?"

Baron didn't answer. He only smiled at the girl holding onto his arm. They were walking through the streets in the eastern part of town. As they went deeper into the eastern end, more noblemen and noblewomen appeared. They all stared at Haru suspiciously. Haru could only press closer to Baron under their accusing stares.

"Are we almost there?" Haru asked uneasily.

"It's just around the corner" Baron responded. As the duo turned the corner, Haru was greeted with the sight of a fairly large house, a mansion to be precise.

"Wow, I've never been to this part of the city before" Haru said in awe. "Whose house is that?"

"It is mine, Miss Haru" Baron said proudly.

"It's lovely" Haru breathed out. She pulled away from Baron to walk closer to the house. "Is this where we're eating lunch?" Haru questioned with a twinkle in her eye. She turned around and leaned forward slightly to clasp her hands behind her back. Baron's heart stopped at the sight of her. She was gorgeous. How did he become so lucky to meet her by chance?

"Indeed" Baron said breathlessly. Haru giggled. She turned around to skip up to the door. Baron went up beside her and opened the door. He placed his hand on the small of her back and led her inside.

Yuki appeared from a connecting room. She bowed down quickly. "Welcome home, master." She glanced up, and her eyes widened in surprise at the sight of Haru. Her eyes darted over to Baron before looking down quickly.

"Oh, and welcome to my master's home, milady" Yuki added.

"No need to be so formal. I'm not that special. I could only dream of being wealthy enough to earn the title of milady. My name's Haru. You can call me that. What is your name?" Haru said kindheartedly. Yuki glanced up again in surprise.

"I'm Yuki" the servant girl said shyly. "It is nice to meet the person my master thinks so fondly of. He doesn't ever stop talking about you." A pink blush dusted Haru's cheeks. She looked up at Baron slowly. He was staring straight ahead, and his whole body was stiff.

"That's sweet" Haru gushed. The blush transferred to Baron's cheeks.

"Let's go to the parlor. We can eat in there" Baron said. Baron gently pressed his hand against Haru's back to urge her forward. Haru began to move as Baron guided her through the house. They went down a nearby hallway and into a room at the end and to the right. "Here we are."

Haru went into the room and sat down in a settee. Baron took a free chair opposite of the settee. "Would you like some tea, Miss Haru?" Baron asked as he picked up the long spout teapot. Haru nodded.

"That would be lovely, Baron" Haru said with a smile. Baron poured the tea into two teacups. He picked up one of the small cups and its matching little plate and handed it to Haru.

"It's my own special blend, so I can't guarantee the flavor. It tastes a little different each time. I hope it's one of the good batches for your sake, Miss Haru" Baron warned.

"Come now, Baron, call me Haru."

"Of course…Haru" Baron said shyly. "What were you doing earlier?"

"Earlier?"

"Yeah, you know, with the quilts and handkerchiefs."

"Oh, that. Mother's a quilter, and she's been teaching me too. We both make quilts and at the end of each week we donate them to the orphanage. The orphanage provides us with the material" Haru explained.

"What about the handkerchiefs?"

"Mother and I make those to sell to some of the kinder upper class women. It doesn't bring in a lot of money, but we get by with what we make" Haru enlightened.

"I see" Baron said thoughtfully. "May I buy some of those handkerchiefs? At least, next time you have some more." Haru's eyes widened.

"Oh, you don't have to buy some just to help me, Baron!"

"No, some of my workers really do need some because theirs have gotten quite worn. It is the least I can do for them to thank them for all their hard work" Baron clarified. On that note, Yuki walked in, pushing a cart in front of her. On top of the cart were two silver platters.

"I've brought your lunch, master" Yuki announced.

"Thank you, Yuki." Yuki nodded and curtsied before exiting the room. Baron stood up and grabbed both platters. He handed one to Haru, and he sat down with his own.

"Shouldn't we be eating this in the dining hall? It's not proper to be eating it off our laps" Haru said jokingly. Baron's eyes sparkled with amusement.

"I like the change" he said. Haru took the lid off her platter to reveal seasoned fish and vegetables.

"This looks delicious" Haru proclaimed.

"I chose it myself. I'm quite fond of any dishes with fish in it." Haru smiled at the fact and began to eat. Baron followed suit, and the two ate in a comfortable silence. Once they were done eating, Yuki came back in and cleared all the dirty dishes away. As soon as she left, Baron gave Haru a tour of the house. Haru stayed to chat with Baron for three hours before thanking him for his hospitality. She promised to meet up with him the following day. Baron insisted that Haru shouldn't head home alone. He fought with her until she allowed him to escort her to the western gate. It took a while for him to convince her, but she eventually agreed.

The walk to the gate was shorter than Baron hoped. However, before Haru could escape and disappear mysteriously, Baron grabbed Haru's hand and kissed the back of it.

"I enjoyed this afternoon very much. It was a pleasure, Haru" Baron said honestly before taking his leave. Haru watched his back as he walked back to his house. Two men followed him silently. Haru immediately recognized them as Toto and Muta from her earlier conversation with Baron although she never officially met the infamous duo.

Haru shook her head as she saw the man she assumed was Muta tackle Toto to the ground. Laughing, Haru stealthily slid into the alleyway when no one was watching. Once Haru reached the dead end, she moved a crate, against the wall, to the side to reveal a small opening. Haru slipped into the hole and pushed the crate back in place. Haru followed the hedge on the other side, which was part of someone's garden, until it reached the wall of the city. The small space she was in was actually only a crack between the hedge and the backs of buildings.

At the wall, Haru climbed up with the help of the cracks and hopped over the stone formation with ease. Haru landed on the other side in a crouch. She stood up and brushed off the dirt from her hands. Haru scanned the area to see no one in sight. Haru grinned and ran through the clearing to the edge of the forest. The minute Haru entered the shade of the trees; she spotted a familiar and worn trail.

Haru walked down the trail until she came upon a small house. Haru pulled a key out of her pocket to unlock the door. The lock clicked after one turn. The key was slipped back into her coat's pocket, and Haru entered the house.

"Mother?" Haru called out.

"Haru" a weak voice answered. There was a series of coughs followed soon after. Haru rushed to her mother's room to see her mother lying in her bed.

"Mother, how are you feeling? Better? Worse? Are you thirsty? Hungry?" Haru frantically asked while squeezing her mother's hand. Haru's mother, Naoko, gave a weak laugh.

"Haru, you know I'm not getting any better. You're going to have to accept that fact. Please, sweetie, you're supposed to be spending the day looking for somewhere to live. This house won't last long enough for you to live your life. I don't want to leave this world with you living on the streets. I don't want you out there…not again" she said hoarsely. Haru quickly left the room to fetch a glass of water. She came back after a minute and helped her mother sit up to take a sip. Haru set the glass back down on the small table beside her.

"Mother, please don't talk like that" Haru cried out. Naoko petted her daughter's hair.

"Tell me about your day. Did you find anywhere?" Naoko said. Haru looked up at her mother with glassy eyes. Haru nodded and wiped her eyes with her sleeves. Before starting her story about her day, Haru picked up a cloth out of a small water dish on the floor. She wrung the cool water out and wiped her mother's sweaty forehead off. Naoko leaned back against her pillow contentedly.

"Well, I went to town like always and headed straight to the orphanage. After stopping there and talking with the kids for a little bit, I went to the east end of town. I sold the handkerchiefs to Mrs. Grant. She gave me a whole dollar extra. I left then meet up with Baron again. You remember Baron, right? He's the guy I've been telling you about. Technically, he was stalking me but still. He took me to his mansion, and we ate lunch. We talked for hours. I lost track of time and told him I had to leave. He wouldn't let me go, though, unless he could escort me to the gate. He kissed my hand at our parting" Haru recounted dreamily. Naoko smiled weakly. She placed a sweaty hand on her daughter's cheek.

"Haru, what am I ever going to do with you? You're supposed to be finding somewhere to live, not spending your time with a boy" Naoko said lightheartedly. Haru's face grew hot.

"It wasn't my fault. Baron _followed_ me. What else was I supposed to do?" Haru huffed.

"Oh, Haru. You could have declined his offer for lunch" Naoko suggested. Another coughing fit hit her. Haru helped her mother get another drink.

"But I already told him I'd eat lunch with him the next time we saw each other" Haru tried to say in defense. Naoko only smiled.

"Next time say no. You can spend time with the young man once you find somewhere to stay. Think about yourself for once."

"But-But I already told him I'd spend the day with him tomorrow" Haru whined.

"Okay, but after that no more" Naoko commanded.

"Yes Mother, but you know I can't afford anywhere. Nobody is going to want to take in a peasant like me either. Everybody thinks I'm weird for not wearing a dress. They don't think it's proper for a girl to wear boy's clothes." Naoko sighed.

"Haru, I'm sure someone would love to have you as part of their family. I know I do."

"Thank you. Now, I'm going to get you something to eat. You have to try."

Haru headed out of her mother's room to head to the kitchen. Haru shuffled around grabbed some of the leftover bread from the day before. She wrapped it in a cloth and went back upstairs. Upon reaching her mother's side again, Haru unwrapped the bread and broke a small piece off.

"Here, eat this." Haru held the bread to her mother's lips. Naoko leaned forwards and nipped a piece off. She chewed as best she could and swallowed. Haru just watched her mother sadly. She knew that later when she went to bed, she'd cry herself to sleep.

_The next day…_

Baron waited once again at the west gate to greet Haru. Haru showed up a few minutes after his arrival. She walked up to him and smiled.

"What did you want to do today?" Haru questioned her friend. Baron smiled.

"I don't know. I was just thinking a walk around the city, just the two of us. But we have to hurry; Muta and Toto are surely going to notice I'm gone once they're done fighting." Haru giggled and took Baron's arm. They both walked down the cobblestone street in content.

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**A/N: I just thought of a movie that can help you readers get a better idea of the time period. Have you ever seen the movie Aristocats? Well, picture the time period sort of like that but there are no motorized vehicles. Review or flame please.**


	4. Family

"Baron, I know I said I'd give the girl a chance, but she obviously can't be trusted!" Toto shouted at the tawny haired man as he hastily pushed through the crowd to get to the western gate.

Baron growled. It had been a month since he met Haru. He met up with her every day to talk, eat, or just enjoy each other's company. However, it was a week ago when everything began to go downhill. Baron took Haru to his house to have lunch, and she told him she had to go to the bathroom. Baron noticed she didn't look to good. Baron showed her where the restroom was and left her in privacy. Once an hour had passed, Baron began to grow worried when she never returned. He went to the bathroom to check on her, only to find her gone. He looked all around the house, from the first floor to the third, and asked every servant he could to see if they knew of her whereabouts. The only clue he got to where she went was from Yuki. The sixteen year old maid said she saw Haru leave the house in a hurry. Ever since then, Baron hadn't seen the brunette. Nonetheless, Baron went to the western gate each day to try and see if he could find the girl.

Today marked that a whole week had passed since Haru's leave. Toto kept insisting she must have stolen something from the house, but after close inspection, nothing was found missing. Not that Baron had anything of major value in the house anyway.

"Toto, will you be quiet already? I have heard enough from you. Stop degrading Haru. She has done nothing wrong" Baron snapped.

"Yeah, nothing _yet_. We could have overlooked something back home. Maybe she took some important documents or something" Toto said in exasperation.

"I don't think Haru would do that, chicken wings" Muta grumbled.

"That's because you're just a softie, you big fatso" Toto countered.

"What did you just call me?!"

"Quiet!" Baron barked. He was in no mood for one of their fights. He just wanted to see Haru again and ask her why she left without a goodbye. It broke his heart knowing she abandoned him. Maybe Toto was right. He shouldn't have fallen in love with her so quickly. Everything was ruined.

Toto, Muta, and Baron reached the western gate in record time. Baron always wanted to make sure they were there early in case Haru did show up. He didn't want to risk the chance of missing her. "She's not here. Can we go home now? You have a lot of paperwork to fill out" Toto said impatiently.

"No I don't. Paperwork is all I have been doing for the past week to occupy my time" Baron replied irritably.

"Well then find something else to do. Get a real girlfriend. Pick some upper class women or something" Muta said. He was getting annoyed by Baron's sulking. Baron turned on his large friend.

"You know it won't work. Unless it's Haru, I have no chance of ending this thing. Besides, I wouldn't be completely happy with someone else" Baron snarled. Muta and Toto stayed silent at Baron's remark. Baron stood in the shade of a building as he waited. His foot tapped impatiently against the ground, and his left hand played with the ring on his right.

During his wait, Baron heard a sniffling. Never one to enjoy the sound of crying, Baron searched for the source. Maybe he could possibly help the person with their problem. That would get his mind off things. To his surprise, he found the sniffling coming from the alleyway Haru always disappeared in.

"Hello? Are you okay?" Baron called out as he looked into the alley. He could see a figure slumped over in the far back corner hugging their knees. They were sitting on a wooden crate. The person heard Baron's voice and looked up sharply. Baron's eyes widened. In front of him was Haru. However, she was covered in dirt, very pale, and thin. She looked quite sickly. "Haru?" Baron said softly as he approached the younger girl. Haru flinched away from him as he reached out to her. Baron's heart broke. Was she scared of him?

"Baron! What are you doing?!" Toto screeched as he stepped into the alley. He froze at the sight of a tear stained Haru. Concern filled his senses. "What happened?" he asked Baron softly. Muta came up behind them.

"I-I don't know. I just found her here" Baron said in a panic.

"Don't just stand there! Let's get her back to the mansion" Toto said sternly. Baron nodded. Toto was about to pick the girl up, but Baron stopped him. The two had a silent staring contest. They were fighting each other with their eyes. Toto finally sighed and nodded.

"Muta, go back to the mansion and tell Yuki to get a room ready for Haru" Baron ordered as he took off his jacket.

"Yes, sir" Muta said before rushing off. Baron handed the jacket to Toto along with his cane. Baron scooped Haru up in his arms bridal style and began carrying her home. Haru immediately snuggled closer to Baron's chest causing him to blush. After making it halfway back to the mansion, Haru started to cry again. Baron didn't know what was wrong, so he couldn't say any words of comfort. Instead, he just kissed the top of Haru's head. Haru almost immediately stopped crying, but she still sniffled every once and a while. All of the people the trio passed stared at them in disgust.

The mansion came into view, and Baron practically ran for the door. Haru grabbed fistfuls of Baron's red vest to keep herself securely in Baron's arms. Toto stepped forward and opened the door for Baron. Yuki rushed down the stairs.

"This way" she said hurriedly. Baron followed Yuki up the stairs. She led him up to the third floor. To his astonishment, Yuki prepared the extra room that was right across from his bedroom. Baron mentally thanked Yuki for considering his feelings to where Haru should go.

Yuki opened the door to Haru's room and shut it once Baron and Haru were inside. Baron went to set Haru on the bed, but she refused to let go of him.

"Haru, you need to let go" Baron said softly. Haru buried her head in Baron's chest. Her grip tightened on his shirt. Baron sighed.

"Do you want me to lay with you for a little bit?" Baron asked. Haru nodded against Baron. Not having the heart to say no, Baron crawled onto the bed and laid down on his side while hugging Haru, who was still clinging to him. "This is very improper. A man and woman shouldn't be in the same bed unless they are married" Baron said embarrassedly. Haru didn't say anything.

An hour passed with Baron just rubbing soothing circles into a crying Haru's back. In that duration of time, Haru fell asleep. Baron gazed down at her sleeping face. It was grimy with tear marks, but that didn't make Haru any less beautiful in Baron's eyes. Gently, Baron slipped Haru's arms off him and crawled out of the bed. He got up and kissed Haru's forehead before leaving the room as quietly as possible.

"Yuki?" Baron whispered as he descended the stairs. The bleach blond servant appeared before him.

"Master?" she said.

"When Haru wakes up, could you please help her get a bath? Tell her they were my orders. Also, help her get dressed into a nightgown, it is getting late. I will be heading out to buy some right now. I promise I won't be long." Yuki only nodded.

Baron slipped out into calm streets and headed to the closest dress shop. He entered it without thinking about what others thought.

"Hello sir, what are you looking for today?" a female attendant asked.

"I am looking for some nightgowns" Baron said awkwardly.

"Oh, do you have a special someone at home? Is this a present for them?" the female attendant giggled.

"Something like that" Baron said.

"Do you know what size she wears?"

"No, but she is about this tall, this skinny, and only eighteen" Baron said as he gestured with his hands how thin Haru was.

"Ah, yes, yes. I think I know the perfect nightgowns" the attendant said happily.

"Great, can you please just pick out ten of them and check them out. I'm in a hurry" Baron said nervously. He felt out of place in the store. He wanted out.

"Of course" the lady said before going to the back. She came out with an armful of nightgowns of different styles and colors. She rung them up at the register, and Baron paid.

"Thank you, please come again" the lady said with a wicked smile. Baron tipped his hat to her and carried the boxes back home.

Up in Haru's room, Baron placed the boxes on the bed. Haru was in the connecting bathroom getting washed. Yuki came out a minute later to examine Baron's purchases. As she went through the boxes of nightgowns, inspecting them, she began blushing.

"What is it?" Baron asked.

"N-N-Nothing" Yuki said.

"You're lying. Tell me what's wrong" Baron said. Yuki's blush intensified as picked up a big circular box.

"You said you bought ten nightgowns, right?" Yuki said quietly. Baron nodded. "Well, this box here has the ten nightgowns in it."

"Then what about the little box" Baron said suspiciously.

"The lady must have given these to you free of charge" Yuki choked out as she removed the lid to the small box. Baron gained his own blush and spun around to turn away from the indecent garments inside the box. There were three nightgowns in the box. However, all three pieces of nightwear were made of silk, short, skimpy, revealing, and sort of see through.

"Uh-uh-uh" Baron stammered.

"I'll just put these in the closet in the back corner" Yuki said as she placed the lid back on the box. She opened up the wardrobe in the room and put the box as far into the wardrobe as she could. Baron gulped.

"Please, inform me when Haru is dressed" Baron said as he strode out of the room. "I am not going back there again" Baron mumbled to himself with a shake of his head.

A half hour didn't even pass when Yuki came out of Haru's room. "Is she done?" Baron asked as he went to open the door.

"Master, wait!" Yuki said, but it was too late. Baron opened the door to see Haru wearing one of the revealing nightgowns. She didn't notice him. Baron blushed and pulled the door partially shut to look at Yuki.

"I thought I told you to put her in a nightgown not…lingerie" Baron whispered harshly. Yuki looked at the floor shamefully.

"I tried to but since it is spring and the weather is warming up. she wanted to wear one of those. They weren't as thick and long as the others. I tried to tell her you wanted to see her afterwards, so I convinced her to at least wear a slip under it. I'm sorry I failed to follow your orders, master" Yuki clarified.

"I guess it isn't your fault. Please go get some rest" Baron said with a sigh. Yuki curtsied to Baron before rushing to the servants' wing to prepare for bed. Baron took a deep breath and pushed the door back open to step inside the room. "Haru? Are you feeling any better?" Baron asked softly. Haru looked up from the bed to gaze at Baron. Hers eyes grew watery. Baron rushed to her side. "I'm sorry. Please tell me what's wrong. I haven't seen you for a whole week and when I find you, you're a mess. I just want to help" Baron begged. Haru nodded slowly.

"I-I-It started a-about two months ago" Haru sobbed. "M-My mother got sick. After two weeks, s-s-she didn't get any better. We knew she wasn't going to get better. S-She told me to find some place to live for when she…p-p-passed away. I told her I'd go to the city every day and look for some place to call home. It wasn't too long after that when I met you" Haru recounted with a smile at the end. Baron handed Haru his handkerchief. She took it and blew her nose. "Thank you. Anyway, I began spending every day with you instead of looking for somewhere to live. A week ago, mother took a turn for the worse. Despite my protests, mother told me to go to the city. It was the day I went to your house then left. I had to go back home because I felt guilty for leaving mother home all alone. When I got back, she-she-she—" Haru cried. Baron wrapped Haru in a hug while trying to ignore the fact that Haru was wearing very little. The thought made him blush.

"She went to a better place" Baron finished for her. Haru nodded against Baron's chest.

"I-I had to dig a grave for her and bury her. The house was never in good shape to live in so I had to leave. I never found somewhere to stay since I spent m-my days with y-y-you. I've been spending my days on the streets. I tried asking people to let me stay with them for a little bit, but they either ignored me or took offense to my request. Some of the upper class men and women…hit me" Haru bawled.

"Calm down, Haru. It'll be okay now. Y-Y-You can stay with…me" Baron said nervously. Haru pulled away from Baron like he slapped her. She stared at him with wide eyes.

"No, I can't. I don't want you to pity me" Haru said frantically. Baron frowned.

"I-I-I'm not pitying you. I-I want you to stay here. I enjoy your company very much. We can be a-a…family."

"_Haru, I'm sure someone would love to have you as part of their family. I know I do." _Naoko's words echoed in Haru's mind.

"R-Really? You want me to join your family?" Haru said excitedly. Baron nodded shyly. A huge smile came on Haru's face. She jumped at Baron to give him a hug. "Thank you" she breathed out.

"Anytime" Baron said tenderly. He subtly let his eyes drift away from Haru. How embarrassing, her nightgown was hiking up!

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**A/N: Like it? Yes? No? Tell me in your review.**


	5. Starting Fresh

Baron grinned to himself as he shut the door to Haru's room. It closed with a soft click.

"How's Chicky doing?" Muta asked as he and Toto walked up to their friend.

"Chicky?" Toto said.

"I was talking about Haru" Muta muttered.

"She is doing just fine. I was about to go get her something to eat before she goes to bed" Baron said as he walked past his friends.

"She's staying the night?"

"Yes, Muta."

"Baron, I don't know if that's a good idea" Toto added. Baron turned around to glare at Toto.

"You're going to have to get use to the idea. I just invited her to live with us. She has already accepted my offer" Baron said through clenched teeth.

"What?!" Toto and Muta said in unison.

"But Baron, what if she finds out about 'you know what?' What are you going to do?" Toto whispered lowly as he followed Baron to the kitchen.

"If she finds out, she finds out. I fell in love with her, so if she finds out it might be a good thing. Maybe she can help. Besides, if she doesn't like what she finds, I won't stop her to leave. If you love something, let it go. Right?" Baron said simply. Toto shook his head.

"I still don't trust her. What if she blows our secret? Everybody working in this house that knows your secret has worked had to keep your secret a secret. We can't risk her ruining what we all worked so hard to hide" Toto fumed.

"Did you know Haru's mother died last week? Did you know she has been living on the streets with nowhere to go, nothing to eat all that time? Do you want me to just throw her out so she can die? Do you want me to give up on the idea that she might be the one to break the curse?" Baron said angrily. Toto's eyes widened.

"Just shout your secret to the world will you!" Toto screamed in frustration.

"Stop being so uptight, birdbrain!" Muta said. "Did you not just hear that Chicky has been going through a lot right now? Besides, you know that Baron won't throw her out. He wouldn't even take her to one of the Von Gikkingen Shelters to get help. He _loves_ her. He is probably trembling with excitement from her just being here." Baron smirked to himself as he descended the stairs that led to the first floor. Toto sighed.

"No, I heard that part" he mumbled. "I guess she can stay, but I'm going to be keeping an eye on her."

"Do what you like" Baron said indifferently. He entered the kitchen. Baron grabbed a kettle and began to throw tea leaves inside. He filled it with water afterwards. While the tea heated up, Baron placed some leftover vegetables and a roll on a plate. A high pitched whistle filled the air. Baron removed the tea and poured it into a teapot. The plate of food, two teacups, the teapot, honey, and milk were placed on a tray.

"I'm going back up to Haru's room. Please don't bother us. If you need something to do, there is paperwork that needs filled out in my study. Most of it needs at least one of your signatures" Baron said as he walked out of the room with the tray in his hands.

Once Baron reached Haru's room and closed the door, he could tell something was wrong. "Haru, what's wrong? Are you still upset about your mother?" Baron asked gently as he set the tray down on the nightstand and placed a reassuring hand on Haru's shoulder. Haru looked up at Baron with a weak smile.

"Toto and Muta don't like me, do they?" Haru said meekly.

"Oh Haru, that isn't true. Muta thinks you're nice. He likes how you got me to do more activities for fun. He always thought I was too uptight. Ever since I was a little boy, I was always worried about work. I never gave myself a break. Muta's thankful you came into my life. He can see how happy you've made me" Baron said encouragingly. Haru looked down to her lap. Her fingers played with the end of her silk nightgown that reached mid-thigh.

"Toto hates me though" Haru said sadly. She looked back up at Baron. "I don't know why it bothers me so much. I'm use to people thinking of me badly. I guess I'm just upset because Toto is part of your family. I want your family to like me." Baron shook his head furiously.

"Toto doesn't know anything. I promise that once he gets to know you he'll love you as much as I do" Baron promised. He wrapped Haru in a hug. Haru returned the embrace. "In the meantime, I'm going to have to have a word with him for making you feel this way."

"You don't need to do that. It's only natural for Toto to feel edgy. I mean, I am sort of stealing you away from him. You spend all your time with me. You should spend some time with him instead of me every once and a while" Haru said in understanding.

"He's just acting childish. I'd rather spend time with you." Haru blushed. "Now eat something. You look famished." Baron set the plate of food in Haru's lap. I brought some freshly made tea too. "Do you want milk or honey this time?"

"Honey" Haru answered as she picked up a silver fork and stabbed the vegetables on the plate. Baron picked up a small spoon and dipped it into a small pot on the tray. When he pulled the spoon out, it was coated in a golden yellow syrup. Baron gently lifted the spoon and swirled it in a teacup. The honey came off the spoon immediately. Baron poured some milk for himself then handed Haru her cup.

"Thank you" Haru said as she sipped the tea cautiously so she wouldn't burn her tongue. After Haru finished eating, Baron and her talked for another hour before she fell asleep against his shoulder. Baron enjoyed the feeling of Haru leaning against him, and soon he drifted off to sleep too.

_Three days later…_

Haru was in her room scanning over the contents of her new wardrobe. Baron had been very insistent in saying that he wanted to buy her all the necessities she would need to live in his house. But in Haru's opinion, he just wanted to spoil her. Haru didn't mind though, she never needed much in life, and now that she had it, she didn't think it would change. It just didn't feel right to use or do as much stuff. She wasn't comfortable with the feeling.

Today, however, was sort of special in a way. It was the day that Haru was allowed out of her room after building up her lost strength. Not that she had much strength to build back up. It was also the day Haru decided to confront Toto and try to make friends with him. That was the only reason Haru was staring at her clothes. She wanted to be comfortable but also presentable enough to not look like she lived on the streets.

After ten more minutes of staring, Haru sighed and gave up. She didn't know what normal upper class women wore. She would wear what she usually wore. Haru pulled out her new tan pair of riding pants Baron got her along with her new navy blue coat. Haru liked her worn out old clothes, but since they had patches, Baron wanted her to start out fresh. Haru was touched by his thoughtfulness. Scanning her shirts, skipping over the dresses, she spotted a beautiful purple blouse. Baron told her, all her shirts were made by his staff since they knew she didn't prefer dresses. Haru took it off the hanger and got dressed. First she slipped out of her robe and then slipped into her undergarments. Her pants followed than her shirt. Her button up coat was put on afterwards. She walked over to the mirror in her room to put her gold hoop earrings in. She grabbed a brush and ran it through her hair. Haru stared at her reflection as she tended to her hair. She looked exactly like she did before but with a different shirt and there were no patches.

Haru finished getting ready only to frown at her sock clad feet. She wiggled her toes in thought as she stared at them. Did Baron get her new shoes too? She didn't think to look before. Haru's eyes scanned the room until they landed on a few boxes in the corner. Her curiosity got the better of her, and she went over to look inside the colorful containers. The first box contained nothing new. It was her silk nightgowns. They were her favorite. Although exposing, they were soft and cool. Underneath, in the second box, were some fancy heeled boots, regular heels, and slippers. Haru sighed. All of the footwear was obviously for fancy parties or outings. With little hope, Haru opened the last box. Inside was more accessories to go with her dresses and some make up. Haru wasn't upset, sure she had casual dresses and some of the stuff would match nicely with them, but what was she supposed to wear on her feet now?

Haru sighed and closed the box before going over to her bed and sitting on the edge. Haru looked around her room. She had a four post canopy bed, a wardrobe, a vanity with a mirror, a settee chair, a bedside table, and dresser. There were a few other things in her room too that Haru figured were normal to have, if one was upper class, but she had no idea what their purposes were for. Everything was amazing even though it was all almost white and/or pink. The bed was bigger than the bathroom at her old home, but it almost seemed like too much. The second day after staying, Baron asked if she wanted her whole room redone. He knew even without asking her that it was too gaudy for her taste, but she politely rejected his offer. If she was going to live in a nobleman's mansion, she would have to get used to it.

Suddenly, a knock out of the door brought Haru out of her train of thought. "Come in" Haru called out. The door opened to reveal Baron.

"How are you doing?" he asked as he shut the door behind him. He turned to look at her and stared with his mouth hanging open a little.

"Baron, are _you_ okay?" Haru asked worriedly. She stood up from her spot on the bed. Baron snapped out of his trance to smile at Haru. He took long strides to reach her side. He abruptly grabbed her hand and brought her knuckles to his lips. He gently kissed her skin. Haru gasped, and her free hand flew up to clutch at her shirt, right about where her heart would have been if it wasn't inside her body. A pretty blush spread across her cheeks.

"You look exquisite. Purple is a wonderful color on you" Baron complimented. His eyes quickly scanned her up and down. Haru's hand was still near his lips. "I think yellow would look quite ravishing on you also."

"Th-Th-Thank you, Baron." Baron smiled and gently lowered her hand back to her side.

"Now, please, enlighten me as to why you looked so upset when I walked in?" Baron asked lightly. Haru got over her shock and sat back down on the bed. She self-consciously smoothed out the wrinkles on her pants. Her eyes drifted over to look at the boxes in the corner.

"I was just sort of hoping that you would have gotten me some more boots…regular boots" Haru said quietly. Baron stared at Haru's sad face. It broke his heart to see her like this. He dropped down onto one knee to grasp both of her hands in his.

"I'm sorry, Haru. It is all my fault. I went to every store around with Yuki. She picked out the more fancy stuff. I picked out the rest. I knew I was forgetting something. I totally forgot to stop and get you some. Don't be sad. I'll go get you some right away. In the meantime, I never got rid of your old clothes. I just had them washed. Your boots should be with your clothes. I'll get those for you to wear." Baron got up and left the room in a rush. He returned only minutes later with her old brown boots. They were cleaned and polished. Haru stared at them in wonder. They almost looked brand new.

"Baron, you are going to spoil me" Haru said breathlessly as she slipped the boots on. They went up to mid-shin like always.

"Spoil? You? It is just not possible. You are too good of a person. You would never fall to such low standards. But I would gladly present you with anything you ever wanted for the rest of my life" Baron said devotedly. Haru blushed and turned away in embarrassment.

"Why Baron, if I didn't know any better, it would almost sound like you're asking me to marry you" Haru teased. "But I know that isn't so. It is just your way with words." An obvious blush crossed Baron's cheeks. He could only nod at what Haru said. In his mind, he was slightly disappointed. He knew she only thought of him as a friend, but didn't she feel anything for him, even in the slightest? Or weren't his affections obvious? He tried to be obvious about them but also not too obvious. "Say Baron, do you know where Toto is at this moment?" Haru asked.

Baron shook his head. "I'm not quite sure. He might be in the kitchen picking a fight with Muta. Knowing Muta, he is probably eating breakfast. Speaking of which, you haven't had it yet. Would you care to join me in the dining hall for some?" Baron inquired. He reached a hand out to her. Haru giggled. She out her hand in Baron's gloved one.

"It would be an honor" Haru said. Baron placed Haru's hand through his arm and led her out of the room. They walked down to breakfast together.

* * *

**A/N: Do you think Haru loves him or only thinks of Baron as a friend? Give me your best guess.**


	6. Friends, Old and New

Haru and Baron finished their breakfast with everyone else in the course of an hour. Baron was kind enough to let all his servants eat with him at the table since it was big enough and just because he was that kind of guy. Baron told Haru that he had some paperwork to fill out. He promised to see her later and Haru was free to do as she wished for the day.

Haru almost wished she worked for Baron to show how grateful she was to him and wasn't just freeloading. However, Haru did have plans for the day. Most of the servants cleared out already, save for Toto, Muta, Yuki, and one or two people she recognized but didn't know by name. This was Haru's chance to speak with Toto. She causally slipped out of her seat and walked over to Toto, who was holding a fork in his hand and pointing it threateningly at Muta with an angry gleam in his eye.

"I never called you a tub of lard in my life!" Toto growled as he banged a fist on the table making it rattle. Muta shrugged as he got another serving of food for himself.

"I didn't say you did. I only implied it" Muta said as he shoveled eggs into his mouth. Haru hesitantly tapped Toto on the shoulder. He spun around to glare at her, "What?!" Haru jumped and flinched away.

"I just wanted to talk with you" Haru said. Her voice trembled in fear.

"Fine" Toto said as he stood up. He grabbed his glass of water and drained it before following a timid Haru out of the room. They went into an empty sitting room. "What did you want?"

"Um…I just wanted to say that I know you hate me. I don't blame you. Not many people like me. I'm not saying you have to like me, but I was hoping we could try to be friends. I've never had a friend before Baron. Maybe, you could help me build up my circle. But even if we don't become friends, I won't hate you for hating me" Haru stated while staring at the floor. She bit her lip, afraid of what Toto would say. She was surprised, however, when he put a hand on her shoulder. Haru looked up at him in shock.

"I don't hate you" Toto said softly. "I'm just not willing to trust you yet. Baron really cares about you. I don't want you breaking his heart." Haru looked at Toto quizzically.

"Break his heart?" Haru said. Toto stiffened.

"Nevermind. I hope in the near future, you can prove yourself to me that you aren't a bad person. I'd love to be your friend when that time comes" Toto said sincerely. Haru sniffed.

"Thank you. I was so worried you'd say no. Having friends…I never knew I'd be lucky enough to have them" Haru said as she flung herself at Toto and wrapped her arms around his neck. Toto uncertainly wrapped Haru in a hug as well. Baron, who was walking by, stopped in his tracks to stare at the two. He only smiled before continuing to his destination.

Toto was the first to pull away. "Hey Toto, I was going to go visit the orphanage. Can you tell Baron that if he goes around looking for me? I don't want to worry him" Haru explained.

"I don't think Baron would want you to go out alone" Toto said unsurely.

"Toto, you sound like you're worrying over me" Haru teased. Toto didn't make eye contact. A small blush tinted his pale cheeks.

"I'm only stating what I think Baron would want" he said defensively.

"Relax. I never had a chaperone before. I'll be fine. If I'm gone more than three hours, then you can send someone to get me." Haru left before Toto could say anything more. He sighed when he heard the door open then close.

Haru wove through the crowd of people as it slowly grew in size. The afternoon was always the busiest time of day. She neared the orphanage and smiled at the sight of it. She didn't get to go last week because of her mother, but maybe she could still make quilts for them. Sure, her mother never helped make the quilts for the past two months, but it still wasn't the same without her mother around to give her pointers.

Upon entering the orphanage, Haru was greeted by dozens of children ranging from toddlers to teenagers. The number of teenagers was small though because most teenagers that reached the age of sixteen were sent to the Von Gikkingen Shelter in the city. There they would live until they got a job and place to live.

"Haru!" All of the children cheered and screamed. Haru laughed.

"Hello everyone, how are you all?" she questioned as she squatted down to be face to face to some of the smaller children.

"Good, but where have you been?" a blonde girl around ten years of age asked. "You didn't visit us last week."

"I'm sorry, guys. I've been mourning. I regret to inform you all that Naoko has passed away" Haru said tearfully. All the kids stared at the brunette in disbelief.

"What?! No!" a teenage girl said. Almost everyone broke out into tears. They swarmed Haru into a group hug. Haru cried with everyone. An employee that worked at the orphanage, who knew Haru and Naoko since they first started going there, walked over to Haru slowly. She rested a hand on Haru's shoulder in comfort.

"I'm sorry to hear about your loss, my dear" she said. Haru only nodded. She gave a weak smile and wiped her tears on her sleeve.

"But you all don't have to be so sad. I've been very grateful for what happened. Guess what? Mr. Von Gikkingen took me in to live with him himself" Haru said cheerfully. The workers and children stared at Haru in shock.

"Mr. Von Gikkingen? He only visits about once a month, twice sometimes if he can spare the time. Each time he comes, he's always so nice. He's the best employer in the city" a male employee whispered to himself.

"Really? Really, Haru?" a little boy asked as he tugged on Haru's coat. Haru nodded.

"He's very nice. He's my best friend in the whole wide world. Maybe, he'll visit you guys with me one day. He even bought me these clothes" Haru explained with a twirl to show off her new outfit.

"Your shirt is pretty" a girl said. Haru smiled proudly.

"Isn't it? Mr. Von Gikkingen got them specially made for me. He didn't want me wearing boys' shirts anymore. He wanted me to look more girly I think."

"Does he like you?" a teenage boy asked.

"Of course he does" Haru said in a huff. "We're best friends." The boy shook his head.

"No, does he love you?" the boy restated. Haru gasped and took a step back. There was a blush on her face.

"Of course not!" Haru said flustered. All the children smiled. They began singing and dancing to themselves.

"Mr. Von Gikkingen loves Haru! Mr. Von Gikkingen loves Haru!" they sang. Haru's blush deepened.

"He does not!" Haru protested with a stomp of her foot.

"Do you love him?" the blonde girl asked Haru.

"No" Haru said. "He's my best friend. That's all he is. If I loved him, then you guys would be the first to know." Haru picked up the nearest toddler and balanced him on her hip. She turned to face everyone. "Now, who _needs_ a blanket?" Three hands shot up. All of the children knew that Haru would only make them a quilt if they really needed one. "Okay. Go play. I want you three to tell me what you want your quilts to look like." Children ran off in different directions screaming and laughing. Haru stayed and listened to the three kids to see what kind of quilt they wanted. After getting an idea on what to make, Haru stayed another hour or two to play. Just as she was about to leave, Toto, Muta, and Baron all walked into the building. Everyone gasped.

"Baron!" Haru shouted excitedly as she ran over to him.

"Haru" he breathed as she hugged him. Baron nuzzled her head.

"Has it been three hours already?" Haru questioned as she pulled out her pocket watch to look at the time. Her eyes widened. Four hours had passed. "Oh my goodness! The time just flew by. I probably made you worry. I'm sorry." Baron shook his head and smiled.

"There is no need to be sorry. I did worry though" Baron confessed. Haru blushed. Giggling was heard from behind her. Haru spun around to glare at all the kids spying on her and Baron as they peeked around corners. Baron eyed the kids skeptically. "Why are they looking at us?"

"I don't know. Maybe it's because Mr. Von Gikkingen came to the orphanage" Haru said nonchalantly. Baron raised an eyebrow at Haru.

"Is there something I should know about?" Haru blushed some more.

"No" she said quickly. She swiftly walked over to the donation box in the room and took all the donated fabric out. It was what she would use for the quilts.

"Mr. Von Gikkingen loves Haru! Mr. Von Gikkingen loves Haru!" the children sung again. Baron joined in on Haru's blushing. Toto and Muta started laughing. Baron glared at them.

"W-W-What gave them that idea?" Baron said in embarrassment. The little girls of the orphanage surrounded Baron. They smiled up at him.

"It's okay. We won't tell anyone" a little red head giggled.

"Maybe we should go" Haru stated. All the kids began to whine.

"But Mr. Von Gikkingen just got here. Can't he play with us, Haru?" a little boy said sadly.

"That is up to him" Haru said as she gazed at Baron. He seemed flustered. The little girls were grabbing at his clothes and giggling at him.

"Hey, you're handsome" one said shyly. The teenage girls were blushing in his presence. Hey, if Baron wanted to, he could probably marry one of them. He was only twenty two. Nobody in their society would think Baron strange if he married a young pretty girl. But then again, he is probably expected to marry an upper class lady.

"I-I-I'm sorry. I only came to escort Haru home. I still have business to do at home. We were going to stop and buy boots on the way" Baron apologized. All the girls pouted. The boys looked down at the floor dejectedly.

"I know! How about he comes with me next week when I bring back the quilts? Will that make everyone happy?" Haru suggested. Everyone cheered. Haru looped her arm with Baron's. Baron bent down to whisper in Haru's ear.

"As much as I love visiting the Shelter and Orphanage that my family owns, I have work to do" Baron whispered. Haru looked at Baron with big eyes.

"Please" she begged.

"Oooh, Mr. Von Gikkingen is going to make Haru cry" one child said. Baron's eyes widened.

"Okay, but only because I can't say no to you" Baron consented. Haru smiled.

"See you guys later" Haru said, waving goodbye in the process.

"Bye-bye!"

Baron led Haru out of the building and down the street. Toto and Muta flanked the couple. They stayed silent until reaching a shoe store. Haru was led inside. During their visit, Haru got three pairs of boots. Baron insisted she get a minimum of three pairs even though Haru would have been happy with one new pair. Her purchases consisted of two pairs of brown boots and a black pair. One brown pair of boots reached Haru's knee when put on. The other two reached mid-shin like the pair she was currently wearing. Being a gentleman, Baron opted to carrying Haru's boxes for her.

As the four were walking down the street, Haru saw a cat sitting outside a butcher shop. "Lune!" Haru cried as she sped off down the street and towards the cat. The dark grey feline flicked its ears towards Haru. She picked him up before he realized what was happening. Lune squeaked in surprise. Haru cradled Lune in her arms. She began walking again, what looked like a heated discussion started between her and the cat. Baron, Toto, and Muta only caught bits and parts of it.

"Did you pick yet?"

"Meow…meow…meow-meow."

"Did he really? When?"

"Meow!"

"No?! He didn't!"

"Meow."

"The nerve!"

"Meow…hiss."

"She's great! I can ask Baron."

Upon hearing his name, Baron strode to Haru's side. He tipped his top hat to Lune. "What is it, Haru?" Baron asked as he eyed Lune suspiciously. Lune's gaze travelled back down to his cat's eye ring just like last time. Baron gripped his cane harder and moved the boxes in his hand, so Lune couldn't see his ring. Lune's mismatched eyes flicked to Baron's curiously. Baron looked away.

"Oh! I was wondering if I could take Lune to the mansion. I know Yuki likes cats. I think Lune and Yuki could get along swimmingly." Baron's eyes narrowed at Lune. The cat looked harmless. He guessed it couldn't hurt.

"Anything for you, Haru" Baron said. Haru smiled and snuggled against Lune's fur. Baron hair bristled slightly. It went unnoticed by Haru because of his top hat, but Muta and Toto could easily spot Baron's agitation.

The instant they reached the mansion, Haru ran inside looking for Yuki. Haru found the young bleach blonde servant polishing silver in the dining hall. "Yuki!" Haru called out excitedly.

The sixteen year old girl looked up in surprise. "Haru?" Haru smiled.

"Look what I brought you" Haru said as she held out Lune for Yuki to hold. Yuki set down the silverware carefully and gently took Lune from Haru to set him in her lap. She began petting his back.

"I hope you told master about this" Yuki said seriously.

"I did." Yuki nodded and smiled at Lune. He stared up at Yuki with wide eyes. He bowed his head slightly in greeting.

"Wow, he's gentleman isn't he? He's a really pretty shade of grey too."

"Meow." Haru giggled.

"He said thank you" Haru supplied. Yuki looked down at Lune. She began scratching under his chin then behind his ear. A loud purr erupted from Lune. "You're really good with cats."

"So are you, Haru" Yuki said.

"Thanks. They were my only friends as a kid. I'm going to the parlor. Just bring Lune in when you're done with him. I want to say goodbye before he leaves." Yuki nodded.

Haru left the room and went to the parlor hoping to find Baron. However, to Haru's disappointment, Baron wasn't present. On the bright side, there was a hot batch of tea in the teapot. Haru smiled to herself as she sat down on the settee and poured herself a cup.

"Meow."

"Huh?" Haru said as she looked over at the parlor door, in the crack of the door stood an orange cat. "Hello. Who are you?" Haru said as she set her teacup down to go to the door. She gently crouched down and held out her hand for the cat to sniff, but to her surprise, it skipped the sniffing and jumped into her arms. Haru almost fell backwards, but she caught herself before completely falling.

"Heehee. What is your name?" Haru asked.

"Humbert" the cat meowed.

"Humbert? Are you Baron's cat? Did he name you that? But why would he name you Humbert if he doesn't even like his own name? Maybe he was trying to be funny? He never told me he had a cat before. I guess this is a big house. Maybe I just never noticed you before" Haru said to herself as she carried Humbert over to the settee and sat down. The cat flattened its ears at Haru words.

"Can you understand me?" Humbert hissed out in surprise. Haru nodded.

"I can talk to cats. Don't ask me why or how. I just can" Haru said giddily. Haru began to stroke Humbert's back with her hand. Humbert's back arched to the touch. Haru smiled and picked up her teacup. She took a slow sip. She lowered the cup to see Humbert staring at the drink.

"Do you like tea?" Humbert nodded his head. "I guess you are Baron's cat. You are bound to like tea." Haru grabbed the teapot and filled the empty teacup with the brown liquid. Without even asking, Haru poured a little milk into the mix. She mixed it then replaced the teacup in her hand with the milk infused one. "Here you go" Haru said as she held the cup to Humbert. Humbert sniffed the liquid before lapping at it. Haru scratched behind his right ear. Humbert began to purr.

"Haru?!" an angry voice called out. Haru jumped in surprise. She steadied herself so the tea wouldn't spill. She sighed and pulled the tea away to set it back on its little plate.

"Yes?" she called out in annoyance.

"Haru! Have you seen—?" Toto began as he entered the room. He stopped short at seeing Humbert. Humbert jumped up and buried himself in Haru's arms all while hissing at the intruder.

"Haru? Where did you get that cat?" Toto asked slowly. Before Haru could answer, Muta pushed the door open all the way. He was huffing and puffing for breath.

"I couldn't find him" Muta wheezed.

"Find who?" Haru asked.

"Baro—" Muta began but was stopped when Toto elbowed him in the gut.

"Oomph" Muta gasped at the blow to the stomach.

"No one important" Toto said quickly. "Now, where did you get that cat?" At Toto's question, Muta's eyes flew to the cat in Haru's arms. Humbert was still purring, but his lips were drawn back in a snarl at Baron's friends/bodyguards.

"Isn't this Baron's cat? I didn't find him. He came into the room on his own" Haru answered.

"I see" Toto said distastefully. Toto seemed to frown at the cat before turning around. "Let's go, Muta."

"But—" Muta tried. His eyes never left the orange cat in Haru's arms.

"Now!" Toto barked. "He's made his choice." Toto stormed out of the room. Muta was hot on his tail.

"What was that about? And don't you like them or something? If your Baron's cat, I figured that you would be friends." Humbert growled.

"They just don't understand" he hissed. His ears flattened. "Please Haru, can I just lay here…with you" Humbert meowed softly.

"Of course!" Haru arranged herself on the settee so that she was lying on her back. She picked Humbert up and nuzzled her cheek against one of his furry ones. Haru giggled. "You smell like tea leaves. You must spend a look of time with Baron. That's his own personal scent too." Humbert purred as she set him down on her stomach. Humbert circled her stomach before curling up and going to sleep. "You better be careful. Even if you are Baron's cat, he's quite fond of me. I think he'd get jealous of you sleeping with me" Haru teased before drifting off to sleep also.

Two hours passed before Haru woke up again. Humbert was no longer on her belly. He was lapping at the cold tea on the coffee table. Haru stretched and smiled at the sight. She decided Humbert was Baron's cat. They were just too similar.

"Haru, I have Lune" Yuki said as she opened the door to the room to peek her head in. Lune jumped from Yuki's arms to land on all fours. Yuki shut the door and left. Lune walked over to Haru, but as he went to jump on her lap, Humbert jumped onto her legs and hissed at Lune. Lune's back arched, and he hissed back.

"Stop it you two!" Haru scolded.

"I just wanted to say thank you, Miss Haru for introducing me to Yuki. She is just as wonderful as you described her. I plan on coming back to see her. I'll warn you ahead of time" Lune said in a polite voice. He studied Humbert closely. Humbert growled.

"You're welcome, Prince Lune. I look forward to our future meetings" Haru said. She lifted Humbert into her arms and curtsied. A blue portal mystically appeared out of nowhere and Lune bowed his head before disappearing into the swirling mass of blue. As soon as it came, it vanished.

"I must be going now. I hope we can see each other again" Humbert said. His whole attitude changed from hateful and menacing to polite and orderly in a matter of seconds. He hopped from Haru's arms to look at her.

"As do I. I'm going to have to tease Baron about you later. I never pictured him as a cat person; especially earlier when he didn't seem to like the idea of me bringing Lune here. Maybe it was because of you, either way. See you soon" Haru said. Humbert nodded and scurried out of the room.

It wasn't until later that Haru heard Baron arguing with Toto and Muta.

* * *

**A/N: How's my updating? Should I slow it down? Keep it as is? Are you catching on to the curse yet? Leave a comment.**


	7. Suitors

It has been two days since Haru met Humbert. The first time she encountered Baron after meeting him was the day before. When she mentioned the cat to her friend, he could only stutter and blush about how he never told Haru about the cat because she never really asked if he had one.

Today, however, was different. The first thing that happened that proved the day would not be ordinary was when a blue light filled Haru's room at three in the morning. Haru groggily sat up to look around. Lune was sitting on her bed. His red and blue-green eyes were fixated on her.

"Prince Lune?" Haru asked as she rubbed her eye. One of her silk nightgown's straps slipped off her arm. Lune immediately diverted his eyes.

"Miss Haru, I just wanted to let you know that I will be coming over later in the afternoon. I'll…how should I put this…be disguised as a human? I'll be coming to the house to visit Yuki. I mean…if that's alright" Lune said awkwardly. Haru clasped her hands together with a smile.

"That's so grand. I knew you could do magic but turning into a human. I wish I could change shapes" Haru said excitedly. "I'll make sure that I answer the door before anyone else so you don't get left out of the house from nobody knowing you." Lune bowed.

"I would appreciate that, Miss Haru." A blue light filled the room again and Lune was gone.

"He's so remarkable" Haru whispered to herself. A sudden knocking came at Haru's door.

"Who is it?" Haru called out quietly but loud enough for the person outside the door to hear.

"Baron" the voice answered.

"Come in." Baron opened the door at Haru's response.

"Are you alright? I was heading to the kitchen for a glass of water when I saw a strange light coming out from under your door" Baron said in concern. He went over to sit on the edge of Haru's bed. His green eyes locked onto Haru's bare shoulder. She never fixed the fallen strap. Baron's face grew hot. It was a good thing it was dark in the room, or Haru would surely see him blushing.

"I'm fine, but I must confess something to you. You see, to put it bluntly…I can talk to cats. Lune came to see me a minute ago, he's sort of a prince that can use magic" Haru said nervously. Baron looked at Haru for a while and began rubbing his chin with his hand.

"Fascinating" Baron said in awe.

"You believe me?" Haru asked in disbelief.

"Of course! It would explain how you knew the cat's name even though I didn't see it on the gold collar like you said it was. Also, I don't know of anything else that could make a weird blue light. Magic would be a perfect explanation" Baron said calmly.

"Thank goodness. I thought you wouldn't believe me. I thought you were going to send me away to the asylum" Haru cried out in relief.

"I would never do that to you" Baron said as grabbed Haru's hands and rubbed circles in them with his thumbs. Baron savored the feeling of his skin touching hers. It was rare for his hands not to have gloves on, so he barely got to touch Haru's hand with his own with skin to skin contact. Her hands were so soft. "While we are speaking, I would like to ask you a question."

"What is it?" Haru questioned.

"I was wondering if you would accompany me to the Yorks' this evening. They invited me to dinner. Truthfully, they wanted to meet the lovely lady I have been telling them about" Baron said.

"Oh Baron, I'm not sure. The servants have been teaching me ways to be a proper lady every chance they get…but it still hasn't been that much. You've been giving me advice too, I suppose. I'm just afraid I won't know how to act" Haru said sheepishly. Baron shook his head and smiled.

"I don't care how you act. I just want you to be you" Baron said.

"But I doubt the Yorks feel the same way" Haru said miserably.

"Please Haru; I would love for you to come with me. I'll make sure they make no ill remarks towards you" Baron said in alarm. Haru's brown eyes met Baron's emerald green ones.

"Alright. I suppose it will give me an opportunity to use one of my dresses. I can't have them going to waste" Haru said in defeat. Baron smiled and lifted Haru out of bed. He held her bridal style as he twirled her around the room.

"You don't know how happy I am right now" Baron laughed. Haru laughed with him.

Later that afternoon, Haru stayed posted at the door. Everyone watched as she leaned back and forth with anticipation. The doorbell rang a few minutes after Haru's arrival. She squealed and flung the door open. In front of her stood a tall grayish-black haired man, he had two different colored eyes and was wearing a white military uniform. It looked like one a general would wear. On his suit, tiny gold medals lay against his chest. He looked like he was only about nineteen years old.

"Lune?"

"Miss Haru" Lune acknowledged with a bow. Haru grinned.

"Come in, good sir" Haru said with a gesture of her hand. Lune smiled. He stepped into the house with his hands behind his back.

"Where's Yuki?" Lune asked, his eyes scanning the rooms.

"Oh she's in the sitting room in the main wing. I can take you to her. Do you think she'll want to talk to you? I mean…she only knew you as a cat. She didn't even understand you then."

"I plan on telling her that I'm Lune the cat. She told me yesterday that she believes in magic" Lune said.

"Okay but if I hear her screaming then I'm going to have to kick you out" Haru teased.

"Of course." Haru stepped in front of Lune and led him down a few hallways and then in front of a door.

"In here" Haru said as she pushed the door open. Yuki was in the room humming to herself as she dusted all the figurines and wooden surfaces in sight. Lune gasped at the sight. Yuki turned around at the sound.

"Oh hello, I did not hear you enter" Yuki said in embarrassment.

"It is alright. I just brought you a visitor" Haru said. Lune bowed.

"Good afternoon, Miss Yuki" Lune said in greeting. Yuki blushed then curtsied.

"Good afternoon."

"I'll leave you two alone" Haru announced before leaving. She closed the door with a soft click.

"Chicky, shouldn't you be in the bath?" Muta asked as he came out of nowhere.

"Bath?"

"Yeah, you're going to dinner with Baron this evening aren't you?" You should get a bath, get ready, then be on your way" Muta said.

"I didn't think about it like that" Haru said thoughtfully. "I'll do that right now." Haru trudged off to her room.

After bathing, Haru stood in front of her wardrobe. What to wear? What to wear? Haru's eyes scanned her dresses. What color should she wear? Baron was so happy to have her come. Maybe something that he would like? He said purple and yellow were good colors on her. Haru's eyes landed on a purple dress. Purple it is. Haru took the dress of the hanger and slipped it on. The dress hugged her curves. Dark blue flowers decorated the corset of the dress. Ribbons hung on the waist line. It was pretty but the puffy sleeves were a little much. Haru shrugged, it was her dress now, right? She grabbed the sleeves and ripped them off, leaving the elastic behind. Haru smiled and pushed the elastic down to rest on her upper arms. The style left her shoulders bare. It looked much better now.

This was where the challenge really started. Haru stood in front of her mirror. She brushed her hair and stared at her reflection. What should she do for hair and make-up? Haru fluffed her hair in thought. Suddenly, an idea struck. Haru smiled and ran over to the boxes in the corner. She grabbed the one on the bottom and picked it up. She carried it over to her vanity and set it down. Haru removed the lid and shifted through the contents. Haru smiled as she pulled out a ribbon and bobby pin. Haru attached the bobby pin to the end of the ribbon then bobby pinned the ribbon in her hair. Haru weaved the ribbon through her hair then tied it in a bow at the bottom.

It wasn't fancy but it wasn't simple either. Now for the make-up. Haru pulled all the make-up in the box out and spread it across her vanity. She applied a light coating of blush to her cheeks and some purple eye shadow. It was simple, but she wasn't a professional on beauty. Hopefully, Baron would approve of her attire and so would the Yorks. Haru slipped on her stockings then black and white lace up boots before going to Baron's room. Haru knocked on the door.

"Yes?" Baron's voice sounded from the other side of the door.

"I'm ready when you are" Haru called out. A shuffling then crash was heard on the other side of the door. The door was suddenly flung open. Baron was standing in the doorway wide eyed.

"Y-Y-You look beautiful" Baron said in wonder. Haru blushed from the praise.

"Thank you" Haru said with a small curtsy. "You look quite handsome if I do say so myself." Baron's face turned pink. He was wearing a simple dark blue tailcoat and trousers.

"T-Thank you, Haru. I was surprised to hear you at the door. I thought you would have finished getting ready after me."

"Maybe for anybody else, but I did everything myself. I tried to keep it simple yet elegant" Haru explained.

"And you did it wondrously."

"Shall we go?" Baron asked as he extended an arm to her. Haru nodded and laced her arm through his. They walked outside. Haru was surprised to see a carriage waiting for them. Usually Baron liked to walk everywhere. "I think the Yorks would find it strange for us to arrive on foot" Baron said as if he read her thoughts.

"I bet" Haru mumbled. Baron helped Haru into the carriage before climbing in after her. The ride was short, for the Yorks didn't live too far away just a street or two down the road. The carriage pulled to a stop. Baron hopped out and offered a hand to Haru. Haru took the hand and let Baron guide her to the door. Baron moved his cane to his other hand and rang the doorbell.

A maid appeared at the door. She bowed as Baron and Haru entered. "This way please" she said timidly as she shut the door and led them to the parlor room.

"Baron Von Gikkingen and Miss Yoshioka are here" the maid announced to the occupants of the room before leaving. Everyone stood up in greeting. Thankfully, Haru recognized Mrs. Grant and her husband and the familiar faces caused some of her unease to vanish.

Two men and a woman walked over to Baron and Haru. The two men bowed and the woman curtsied. Haru curtsied afterwards when Baron bowed.

"Hello Mr. York, Mrs. York, and Machida" Baron said curtly. Haru looked up at Baron in question. She noticed Baron's gaze trained on the young man behind the older couple. It must be their twenty year old son, Machida. Haru couldn't help but blush at Machida as he looked at her. He was obviously taking in her appearance. Baron growled. "So _Machida_, how is life like at the university?" Baron asked. Machida's attention went to Baron.

"It's okay. It can be sort of boring. There aren't any high class girls there to court. I'm glad we're on break. It feels good to get away every once and a while" Machida said as his eyes drifted back over to Haru. Baron wrapped an arm around Haru's waist. Haru didn't say anything.

"So this is Haru" Mrs. York said. "You're quite lovely, my dear."

"Thank you, ma'am."

"I'm sorry to interrupt, but dinner is ready" the maid from earlier said as she appeared out of nowhere. Machida immediately stood in front of Haru.

"Would you like to sit by me, Haru?" Machida said smoothly. Haru blushed and took the hand Machida offered her. She was ripped from Baron's grasp as Machida escorted her into the dining hall.

Dinner went by with polite conversation. Haru messed up on which silverware to use during each course. Baron didn't say anything unless spoken to. He was too busy watching Machida and Haru converse in whispers. Haru laughed at what Machida was saying most of the time. Once dinner was over, everyone moved back into the parlor room to continue their previous conversations. Baron thought things couldn't get any worse, but he was proven wrong when Machida pulled Haru out of the room to speak with her privately.

When they came back into the room, Haru was smiling and Machida had a grin on his face. "Everyone we have an announcement! Haru has agreed to let me court her" Machida said smugly. Baron bristled in his seat. He clenched his fist at the announcement. No!

Another hour flew by until Baron convinced Haru that it was time to go home. As Haru and Machida parted ways, Machida kissed her hand. Baron threw a glare over his shoulder as he helped Haru into the carriage. Machida sent him a smug look. Baron frowned and stepped into the carriage. The ride home was silent. Upon reaching the mansion, Haru and Baron went their separate ways. They got dressed in their night clothes and got ready for bed.

As Haru slipped under her sheets, someone knocked on her door. "Come in" Haru said. She pulled the covers up to cover her body as the door created a breeze. Baron stepped into the room. "Baron?"

"I'm sorry. I've been rude the whole afternoon. I just need to ask you one thing. Haru, why are you letting Machida court you? You only just met him" Baron said dejectedly.

"He's funny" Haru said simply. Baron gave her a ludicrous look. Haru sighed. "He's a nice guy. I couldn't just say no."

"But Haru, your leading him on" Baron whined. He went over to kneel next to Haru's bed.

"Maybe. But I could also start to really like the guy" Haru said defensively.

"I don't want him courting you!" Baron shouted.

"Why does it matter to you? I'm old enough to make my own decisions!" Haru yelled.

"Because I want to court you!" Baron said without thinking. Haru's eyes widened. Baron's hand flew to cover his mouth. "I-I-I—" Baron stuttered. He stood up. He turned around to leave, but a hand caught his wrist. Baron looked back to see Haru holding him back. "H-Haru?"

"Why didn't you just ask before? I would have let you" Haru said quietly.

"You would have?"

"Of course. I would have been scared because my first friend would have wanted to become my suitor, but I still would have let you."

Baron turned around and smiled. "I promise you won't regret it. I'll beat Machida in the race to win your heart" Baron said confidently.

"Be careful Baron, I don't want you to become arrogant." Baron shook his head.

"Only for you."

* * *

**A/N: Heehee. I switched the word cool out from the movie to remarkable. I don't think they said cool back then. Haru is being courted by my two men also. What do you think about that? Review. Also, if I get at least five reviews, I might post another chapter tomorrow or on the day after the next every other day.**


	8. Cat's Blood

_One month later…_

Baron was in his study. Toto and Muta were there in the room with him. "Baron, just ask her!" Muta said in exasperation. "If you don't do it now, then Machida will beat you to it."

"It's not that simple" Baron muttered.

"Yes it is" Muta said.

"You better ask her first. I was talking to her the other day. She told me that whoever asked her first, she would say yes to. She even hinted at that she wanted it to be you who asked her" Toto said threateningly. Over the past month, Toto kept his promise and became friends with Haru after he declared she was trustworthy. Now she was like his little sister.

"I'm not sure about this" Baron said unsurely. His fingers immediately started playing with the cat's eye ring. Before Toto and Muta could say anything else, Haru burst into the room.

"Baron! Baron! I'm so happy. He asked! He asked!" Haru cheered as she grabbed Baron's hands and spun him around the room. Baron looked at her in horror.

"What?! Machida asked you to the ball. Oh, I knew I should have asked you sooner! Stupid, stupid!" Baron said as he hit his head with his hand. Haru stopped dancing. She frowned. She planted her fists on her hips to stare at Baron.

"No, Machida didn't ask me to the ball. Why? Is there something you wanted to ask me?" Haru said as she stepped closer to Baron. Baron froze.

"H-H-He didn't ask you?" Baron choked out. Haru shook her head.

"Nope" Haru enlightened.

"Oh. Umm…did you want to go to the ball with me?" Baron asked quickly before he lost his courage.

"I'd love to" Haru said with a mock curtsy. Her eyes twinkled as she looked up at Baron.

"Chicky, what were you talking about earlier?" Muta asked.

"Oh, isn't it so exciting! Lune asked Yuki to marry him. Isn't that adorable? And she accepted! I hope they're so happy together" Haru cheered. As if on que, a human Lune walked in with Yuki hanging on his arm. They were looking at each other with such love, it melted Haru's heart. She wished she could have that in the future.

"Lune" Baron said as he bowed to the cat prince.

"Baron" Lune said in return. "I have come to tell you I am stealing Yuki away from your staff. She has just agreed to be my beautiful bride. I'm afraid she will be moving away to live with me" Lune said.

"I've heard" Baron said as his eyes darted over to look at Haru. She gave him an innocent smile and wave. Baron turned to Yuki. He walked up to her and gently lifted her hand to kiss it.

"You will be greatly missed. I know you and Haru have become good friends. I have also become quite fond of you too. When will you be parting with us?" Yuki blushed.

"Oh, we were going to leave as soon as possible. Haru dragged me to my room once she heard the news and threw all my belongings into my suitcase. I'm ready to go" Yuki said sheepishly. Baron shot Haru a glare.

"My my, this is short notice, but I guess I can let you go today. We'll all miss you" Baron said as he hugged Yuki.

"I agree" Haru added as she hugged Yuki too. Yuki laughed, but when you looked at her, there were tears in her eyes. "Don't cry. I know you two will be so happy together. I hope you visit sometime."

"I'm afraid, Miss Haru that by the time everything is settled, you will probably be an engaged woman to either Mr. York or Baron" Lune said. Haru blushed and cast a shy glance at Baron. Baron didn't look in her direction; he just fiddled with his ring.

"That's too bad" Haru said in disappointment.

"We really must be going. My father has been dying to meet Yuki" Lune said apologetically. A blue portal appeared in the study. The Cat Kingdom could be seen on the other side. Lune stepped outside the door to the study and picked up a suitcase. Baron raised an eyebrow at the action. Yuki and Lune headed through the portal. Before the portal closed, Yuki turned around. She waved a small box wrapped in a handkerchief around, her engagement present from Lune. Slowly, white fur grew on Yuki's body until it covered her. She sprouted a tail and the same thing happened to Lune. Both smiled at the residents of Baron's study before the portal closed fully.

"So Baron, who do you think I'll be engaged to by the time Yuki and Lune come back to visit?" Haru asked nonchalantly. Baron blushed and turned around to gather some papers on his desk into a pile.

"I'm not sure. It is your decision when the time comes" Baron responded.

"Who do _you_ want me to be engaged to then?" Haru asked. Muta and Toto glanced at a nervous Baron. Might as well not pity him any longer. Muta and Toto looked at each other knowingly. They walked over to Haru. Muta grabbed Haru's right arm, and Toto took Haru's left. "Hey!"

"Sorry Chicky, we're Baron's bodyguards. We can't have you tormenting him."

"I'm not tormenting him! Besides, when you're in his office, you're his advisors not his bodyguards!" Haru protested as Baron's friends dragged her away and out of the study. "Let me go! I just want to know his answer!"

Baron sighed when he was all alone. "I can only hope you chose me" he said to himself. Baron sat down in his chair and began signing papers. The only sound that could be heard was the scratching of the pen against the paper.

_The day of the ball…_

Haru decided to wear yellow today. Because she wore purple last time she went out, Haru wanted to wear the other color Baron liked on her. The gown she got out had a puffy skirt and long sleeves with a puffed out tops. The bodice was white along with the sides of the skirt. For her hair, Haru curled the ends. Make-up was about the same as before but with grey eye shadow instead of purple. Haru also had long white gloves on that went up to her elbows. The heels she wore were yellow and white like the gown.

The day before, Machida tried to ask Haru to the ball, but she let him down lightly saying that Baron already asked her. So instead of being Machida's date, she promised him a dance or two.

"Haru? Are you ready to go?"

"Yes, I'm coming" Haru said as she finished putting on her heels. Haru opened the door and came face to face with Baron.

"You look exquisite as always" Baron breathed.

"Thank you. You don't look so bad yourself. I see you chose to wear white for the ball."

"It is a good thing I did. It matches your dress" Baron commented with a smile. He held out his hand for Haru and led her to the carriage. The ball was being held at the recently built City Hall.

As the carriage neared the building, chattering could be heard and music could be heard playing from inside. From the window of the carriage, Haru could see Machida and his parents exit their own coach. Soon enough, their carriage was next in line, and it pulled up in front of the building. A man waiting outside opened the door to the carriage. Baron stepped out first then held a hand out for Haru. Haru took his hand then hitched up her skirt. She stepped out of the carriage as gracefully as she could. She didn't want Baron to look bad if she tripped. She wanted to avoid all accidents this evening. Wait! Suddenly, a realization hit Haru. Haru frantically began to tug on Baron's sleeve. She looked around nervously.

"Baron!" Haru hissed. Baron looked down at the distressed brunette.

"What is it, Haru?" he asked his date. Haru blushed and looked down at the floor.

"I know I said I would dance with you…and Machida but I just remembered I'm a lousy dancer." Baron laughed.

"I'm sure you'll be fine" Baron said reassuringly.

"I don't know" Haru said as she looked over at the dancing couples as Baron and her walked into the ballroom.

"Just trust me" Baron said softly. Haru looked up into Baron's green eyes. They were so full of admiration for her that she couldn't look away.

"Okay" she whispered as if she were in a trance. Baron immediately pulled Haru onto the dance floor. A new song started playing as the newly arriving couples joined on the dance floor. The song that began to play was Cat's Blood or more commonly known as Katzen Blut. Haru placed her one hand in Baron's and the other on his forearm. Baron placed one hand on her waist and began to step forward. Haru did her best to follow. She stepped on his feet twice before finally getting the rhythm down. Her moves flowed like water. Baron and Haru danced with the music with such grace that everyone cleared the way for them leaving them in a circle of onlookers. They were the most beautiful couple dancing. It looked like they were in their own little world.

In the crowd of onlookers, Machida watched with angry eyes. He could almost feel the love seeping off of the two spotlight dancers. Just as the music ended and the crowd began clapping, Machida maneuvered his way over to Haru.

"Haru, may I have this dance?" Machida asked charmingly. His eyes flickered over to a clearly jealous Baron. Haru looked at the ground shyly.

"I don't know. I'm a lousy dancer" Haru said unsurely. Machida laughed.

"Don't be so modest, Haru. You were dancing beautifully" Machida said. Haru glanced over at Baron. She was biting her lip in thought. Hesitantly, she offered her hand to Machida.

"I'll see you afterwards, Baron" Haru called out as Machida pulled Haru to the center of the floor. A new song started up as Machida pulled Haru into a waltz. As the song went on, Haru kept stepping on Machida's feet or stepping in the wrong direction making them run into each other. Machida was getting frustrated, but he didn't say anything. Haru kept blushing and apologizing over and over. Once the song ended, Haru stepped away from her dance partner.

"Sorry, I told you I was a lousy dancer" Haru said in embarrassment. From the corner of his eye, Machida couldn't help but see Baron standing away from them, grinning like a mad man. Haru politely thanked Machida for the dance and promised to speak with him later. She swiftly made her way over to Baron who picked her up and spun her around. Haru started giggling. Machida stormed away angrily at the sight. He wanted to win Haru's heart, but he was at an unfair disadvantage. He only got to spend time with her every once and a while. Baron got to live with her! It wasn't fair.

After Haru met back up with Baron and they talked for a little bit, Haru left Baron's side to go talk to her friend, Hiromi. Hiromi was the daughter of a high class woman and man that knew Baron. The first time Haru met Hiromi, they instantly clicked. They were now the best of friends. She wasn't bad friends either with Hiromi's fiancé, Tsuge.

"So Haru, who are you going to marry? Baron or Machida?" Hiromi asked. The group of girls they were in started giggling to themselves while looking expectantly at Haru, waiting for her answer. Haru shrugged.

"I'm not sure yet. They're both really nice guys" Haru said.

"Well, I think you should marry Baron" Hiromi stated. "I've known him since I was little. He is the perfect gentleman. He can take care of you with his money, and he is quite handsome if I do say so myself. The only problem is I think he has a weird fetish with cats and that ring he wears all the time. It isn't healthy."

"_I_, personally,think you should marry Machida" a different girl said. "I heard that Baron's family is quite shady. They keep secrets. Nobody is allowed to enter the baron's home until he meets them first. He's not allowed to spend his time outside very much either. I just don't understand why he needs those two bodyguards around him all the time!"

"I agree" one more girl chimed in.

"They aren't just his bodyguards. They are also his friends and personal advisors. Baron asks them questions about work all the time. They even have to sign their signatures on a lot of his paperwork" Haru defended. A few girls snickered at Haru's reaction. They carried on the conversation though. A majority of the girls agreed that Haru's best pick would be Machida, but that was only because Baron's family had too many secrets. Haru didn't try defending Baron's name. The girls would either laugh or find something to say that added on to Baron's list of shady actions. The only person that helped protect Baron with her was Hiromi. Just as another argument was about to start about Baron, somebody tapped Haru's shoulder. Haru turned around to see Baron.

"Would you care for another dance?" Baron questioned. Haru laughed and agreed. She knew it would be bad to deny her date. Haru waved goodbye to the girls and Hiromi and followed Baron to the dance floor.

Baron and Haru danced for a good three straight dances before Haru broke away from Baron, telling him that she promised Machida she would speak to him. Baron reluctantly let her go. Haru's search for Machida was hard, but it all worked out in the end when she found him talking to a few other men. They looked to be Machida's age or some a little older or younger. Just as Haru opened her mouth to call out Machida to get his attention, she stopped when she heard her name mentioned.

"How are Haru and you?" one fellow asked Machida. Machida smirked.

"I won't let Baron win her!" Machida spoke with confidence. Haru blushed.

"She is a pretty little thing" another guy commented. Haru took a step back in offence. She didn't like that guy's tone of voice.

"Yeah, she'll be the perfect trophy wife. I can already see her by my side. I bet she'll be great when the time comes around for me to have an heir…if you know what I mean" Machida said smugly although it almost sounded as if he was forcing the statement out. Haru looked at Machida in shock. Is that how he really felt about her?

"Maybe I should try a crack at her" a third guy added. Haru had enough. She hiked up the end of her dress and stomped over to Machida. Her gloves were already off as she slapped Machida across the face as hard as she could. The sickening sound of skin meeting skin echoed through the room. Everyone fell silent.

"That was for calling me a trophy wife!" Haru screamed in an outrage. Before anybody in the room could blink, Haru balled up her fist and punched Machida in the face. "And that was for making the heir comment! I can't believe that's how you really felt about me the whole time. You are an arrogant self-conceded ass!" Haru hissed. She swiftly turned on heel and went straight for Baron. He was staring at her in shock. "Let's go, Baron" Haru said through grit teeth. Baron nodded his head. Right at the door, Haru stopped walking. She turned around and glared in Machida and his friends' directions. "Just so you know, I am not afraid to punch any of you again. I am _no_ proper lady" Haru warned. Machida rubbed the spot Haru punched him. He stared after Haru helplessly. He whimpered as she walked to the doors. She left with Baron before any comments were made.

The ride to the mansion was silent. Haru was too busy staring out the carriage window to say anything or notice that Baron was with her. Her fingers drummed against the seat in anger. Baron was too busy staring at Haru with admiration. She was so beautiful angry. He wanted to speak but didn't know what to say.

Before they knew it, they were back at the mansion. Baron and Haru walked together to their rooms then split ways after going into their respective rooms. After preparing for bed, Haru tentatively went to Baron's room across the hall. She knocked on the door. Baron opened up a few seconds later. He was wearing a green pajama shirt and pants.

"Can I come in?" Haru asked. Baron gulped then nodded. He was trying to advert his eyes from Haru's body. She was wearing one of her silk night gowns again but without a slip underneath. Sure she wore the regular nightgowns every once and a while, but she insisted that she get more silk nightgowns since it was getting close to summer. Now she wore them more often.

"Sure, anytime" Baron said nervously. Haru stepped into the room and looked around. It was her first time seeing the place since she first started living with him. Sure she could see the room when she stood outside the door, but she never actually went inside. The room was actually very simple even though it was huge! It only had the necessities. There was a bed, wardrobe, dresser, and desk. All the furniture wasn't fancy and gaudy like hers. It was average. Actually, the bed had four posts and a canopy, but it still looked ordinary. In the corner, Haru could see a door that was partially open. It must be his connecting bathroom. "Haru?"

"Hmm?" Haru hummed. She was too distracted looking at the room. It just fit Baron's personality so perfectly.

"Did you need something?" Baron questioned. Haru looked at Baron with sad eyes. Baron frowned. "What is wrong, Haru?" Baron said while going over to hug Haru. He embraced her, and she hugged him back with all the strength she had.

"You're not using me either, right? I don't think you are using me, but I just want to be sure" Haru said fearfully. Her grip on Baron tightened. Baron's eyes widened.

"Of course not!" Baron said firmly. Haru choked out a weak laugh in relief. She buried her head in Baron's chest.

"I guess you're the only guy courting me now" Haru said. Her voice was muffled by Baron's chest. Baron gasped.

"I suppose so" Baron said thoughtfully. His grip around Haru tightened this time. He looked down at the brunette holding on to him. He smiled. Carefully, Baron began stepping backwards until the back of his knees hit the bed. Haru followed obediently while keeping her face buried in Baron's chest. Baron sat down on the edge of the bed. Haru situated herself so she straddled his lap. "Haru, I need to tell you something." Haru pulled her face away to look up at a blushing Baron.

"What is it?" she asked with a tilt of her head. Baron swallowed.

"I-I-I—" Baron tried. Haru reached up to touch his cheek reassuringly. Baron's eyes instinctively darted down to Haru's. Her brown ones were so warm. "Haru, I should have told you before, but I was so scared. It wasn't until Machida asked to court you that I've begun to really think about it. But now I'm ready to tell you that…I love you, Haru. I have been in love with you ever since I first saw you try on your earrings. You looked so beautiful and excited. I was instantly smitten" Baron confessed.

Haru's eyes flickered across Baron's face. His green eyes were full of fear, doubt, and love. Haru smiled. She leaned up and kissed Baron on the cheek. "Thank you for telling me your feelings. I don't know my feelings for you yet. I know I feel more than friendship for you, but I don't know if it's love. But I promise, I'll tell you my feelings as soon as I sort them out." Baron nodded miserably. Haru patted his cheek. "Cheer up! I better be getting to bed now. I'm going to visit the orphanage tomorrow." Haru climbed off of Baron and headed to the door.

"Alright. Goodnight, Haru…I love you" Baron called out softly. Haru glanced over her shoulder and smiled.

"Goodnight, Baron."

* * *

**A/N: Oh! Baron confessed his feelings directly to Haru. Do you think Haru feels the same way? Did you figure out the curse yet? Drop me a review and tell me what you're thinking. Oh, and if Haru and Machida's relationship ended a little too soon, sorry. Their relationship just isn't relevant, but just so you know, Machida does appear later.**


	9. Angry Orphans

Haru was sitting in the parlor room. It was raining out and Haru was trying to pass her time until the rain let up so she could go to the orphanage. She had two quilts next to her that she prepared for two of the kids. One quilt had a checkered pattern of black and white for a little seven year old boy. The other was a pink with a variety of flowers decorated on it. It was for one of the more girly teenagers.

"Haru!" a small deep voice said. Haru glanced over towards the door. Humbert came running in and jumped on Haru's lap. Haru smiled down at the orange cat. She began to scratch behind his ears causing him to purr.

"Hello, Humbert. I haven't seen you for a week or two. Where have you been? I know the mansion is huge, but it is almost like you don't exist. I asked a couple of the servants and maids about you and they either didn't know about you or they tried to avoid talking about you" Haru questioned.

"I like to sleep in the small spaces behind or under the furniture" Humbert said distantly as he stared out the window. His eyes followed the rain droplets as they trailed down the glass.

"Did Baron tell you he told me he loved me yesterday?" Humbert stiffened at hearing Haru's question. He played it off by standing up and stretching before lying back down on Haru's legs. She was wearing her riding pants and shirt today like almost every day.

"No, I usually only see him at night when I sleep in his room, but I saw you with him last night, so I slept in one of the guest bedrooms" Humbert answered. "Did you tell him your feelings?" Haru sighed.

"No. I told him that I didn't know what my feelings were for him. That was actually a little white lie. I _do_ know my feelings for him. I just didn't want to tell him them yet" Haru explained shamefully. Humbert stopped purring.

"What are your feelings then?"

"I can't tell you. I don't care if Baron can't understand you. You might try to pull something to tell him" Haru said sternly. Humbert bristled.

"I wouldn't do that!" he hissed. Haru giggled. Haru picked Humbert off her lap and made him face her. Haru smiled and rubbed noses with Humbert then kissed him on the cheek. His whiskers tickled Haru's face.

"You're too cute. I know you wouldn't do that. You are a gentleman just like Baron. If Baron were a cat, he'd be just like you. Or if you were a human, you'd be just like him. I guess it's true. Masters and their pets do act like each other." Humbert wiggled out of Haru's grasp and jumped on the coffee table. He settled himself, so he was facing Haru.

"Don't you trust me?" Humbert meowed.

"It's not that I don't trust you. It's just that if I didn't tell Baron my true feelings then I don't think it would be fair to tell you. I promise I'll tell him tonight. I just have to do something first" Haru clarified. Humbert flattened his ears. "Hey! Don't get all pouty."

"I wasn't. When are you leaving for the orphanage?" Haru glanced out the window. The rain was now down to a light drizzle. Haru smiled.

"I'll go now. Do you know where Baron keeps the umbrellas?" Haru asked as she picked up the two quilts next to her. Humbert nodded. He jumped off the coffee table and ran to the door. With a flick of his tail, he signaled for Haru to follow. Haru followed Humbert to Baron's room. "Do we have to go in his room to get it? I don't think I should go in there without his permission."

"It's okay. He told you he loved you, right? Besides, I think he has about three different umbrellas in there. You can probably keep one for yourself. I'm sure he won't mind" Humbert meowed. He walked over to the door to find it closed. Humbert hissed in frustration. He raised a paw to scratch at the door.

"Meow!" Humbert mewed. Haru was about to open the door, but a maid opened it instead. She must have been in the room cleaning it, for she had cleaning supplies in her hand.

"Why hello Humbert, I see you're on a stroll through the mansion" the maid said kindly. Humbert meowed in response. He padded into the room like he owned the place. The maid looked up from the floor to see Haru. "Oh, and it looks like you're walking with Miss Haru too. Are you having a good day, Miss Haru?"

"Yes, I didn't know you knew about Humbert" Haru said curiously. The maid glimpsed back into the room with a guilty face before turning back to Haru.

"Oh yes, he's the little master of the house. I don't see him often, but when I do, he's not usually in the best of moods. Master says that it's because when he's in a bad mood, Humbert can sense it and then Humbert's in a bad mood. I'm just glad to see him after all this time. I'm not surprised to find him with you. You're so easy to get along with. Humbert probably thinks you're a nice girl" the maid stated.

"Thank you. Anyway, I came here to get one of Baron's umbrellas. Humbert was leading me to where he keeps his." The maid nodded and let Haru in the room. Humbert was staring at the wardrobe.

"Are they in there?" Haru asked the cat. Humbert nodded. Haru grabbed the handle to the wardrobe and opened it up. On some hangers were Baron's suits. Situated on the shelf of the wardrobe were four umbrellas lined up against the bottom. Haru grabbed the one that looked more worn out. She didn't want to ruin one of the good ones. She closed the door to the wardrobe and left the room with Humbert following her. She turned around to look at him quizzically. "Did you want to come with me?" Humbert stopped walking. His eyes widened.

"No. I just wanted to walk to the door with you, but thank you for the offer" Humbert meowed.

Haru smiled as they neared the door. She gently opened up the umbrella with one hand and opened the door with the other. "I hope I see you sooner than last time. I like you, Humbert. You're a good friend." Humbert gave a slight bow with his head then trotted off to a different section of the mansion.

Haru shut the door as she stepped out. She smiled at the pitter patter of the rain on the umbrella. Haru made her way down the cobblestone street while weaving through the streets. She knew them like the back of her hand. It only took about fifteen minutes to reach the orphanage since the streets were almost barren due to the weather.

"I'm back!" Haru called out as she shook her umbrella in the doorway before closing it. The sound of laughter and voices filled the air.

"Haru!" multiple voices shouted with joy.

"Hello everyone, I finished the quilts" Haru said as she help up her masterpieces. The one boy and girl that requested the quilts ran up to Haru.

"Thanks" they said at the same time. Haru smiled. Just as the two were about to run off to their rooms to put their new blankets away, Haru stopped them.

"Whoa, slow down. I need to tell you all something before we play" Haru said with a grin. All of the children looked at Haru with heightened interest. "Guess what happened yesterday?"

"You got a puppy?" one little boy guessed.

"You got a new dress?" a girl asked. Haru shook her head and smiled.

"I stopped allowing Machida to court me" Haru said. All the children looked at each other before bursting into a cheer. "That's not all either." The kids went silent at Haru's words. "Baron also told me he loved me." Laughter and cheering filled the air again.

"Yeah! We knew it!"

"Did you tell Mr. Von Gikkingen you loved him back?"

Haru shook her head and smiled. She crouched down to look at the younger kids better. "Nope. I didn't tell him a thing. I made a promise to you guys, remember? I told you that if I loved Baron that I would tell you first. So…here I am. I couldn't go telling Baron I loved him before you. If I did, then I would have broken my promise. I can't go making promises that I can't keep."

"But wouldn't that mean that Mr. Von Gikkingen is sad? He probably thinks you don't like him."

"Yeah!"

Haru sighed. The kids were getting testy. "Don't worry. I promise I'll tell him my feelings tonight. I'm sure he'll understand when I tell him that I promised to tell you first."

"Alright" some of the kids sighed in disappointment. They wanted to hear Baron's reaction to Haru's confession.

"Do you want to play now?" Haru asked while pulling out her gold pocket watch. It read twelve o' clock. "I have four hours before I want to get home. What do you want to do?" The children grinned before pulling Haru away with a mischievous grin on their faces.

Four hours later, Haru was back in the Von Gikkingen Mansion. Muta and Toto were rolling around on the floor trying to punch each other. They were arguing about how they couldn't find Baron and then that led to name-calling then a fight. Haru would have tried to break them up before they hurt each other, but she knew it would be a useless attempt. Perhaps she would have some tea before heading back up to her room until dinner.

_After dinner…_

Haru dabbed the napkin to her mouth and pushed her chair back before standing up. "Baron, may I have a word with you?" Haru asked trying not to show any emotion. Baron raised an eyebrow at her in question but nodded nonetheless. Baron excused himself and followed Haru out of the dining hall and down the hall towards their rooms. "Can we go in your room to speak? I want to go somewhere I know nobody will interrupt us. I know you rarely let anyone in your room."

"Certainly" Baron replied as he opened the door to his bedroom. Haru and Baron stepped in. Baron locked the door behind him. "What is it you wanted to speak with me about?" Haru took a deep breath. In truth, Baron was quite nervous to hear what Haru had to say despite his calm demeanor. Her words last night put doubt in his heart that she would love him. She may have said about liking him more than a friend but she could have meant she loved him like a brother.

"Do you know how I said that I'd tell you my feelings for you once I sorted them out?" Haru asked while going to sit on the edge of Baron's bed. Baron slowly nodded. "Well I've actually known my feelings for quite some time. I just didn't tell you them last night because I promised the kids at the orphanage that I would tell them my personal feelings towards you before anyone else, including you. That's why I didn't tell you. I told them my feelings earlier and they weren't too happy with what I said. I hope you aren't upset" Haru babbled. Baron's face fell into a frown.

"It's okay. I'm not upset. I understand" Baron said solemnly, thinking he was being rejected. Haru looked up in surprise.

"You're not angry that I told little kids my feelings before you. I'm so relieved. I knew I loved you for a reason" Haru said as she jumped up off the bed and hugged Baron. Baron froze at Haru's words. She loved him? But didn't she just reject him?

"Haru, did you just say you loved me?" Baron said quickly to make sure he heard her right. Haru nodded. Baron smiled and lifted Haru up to twirl her around. "I'm so happy!" Without thinking, Baron set Haru down and kissed her. Haru's eyes widened in surprise, but they fluttered shut after the shock passed. The kiss started off sweet and gentle until a minute passed. It grew more passionate and ravenous. Slowly, Baron pushed Haru backwards until she hit the bed and fell back onto it. Haru laughed as Baron climbed on top of her to keep kissing her. Suddenly, a thought struck Baron and he stopped kissing Haru to pull back and look at her.

"Wait, why were the children angry at what you told them?" A chuckle escaped Haru's lips.

"They were angry at me for not telling you I loved you and for telling them first instead" Haru explained. Baron shook his head in amusement.

"You are just so beautiful" Baron said as he pulled Haru off his bed to hold her. Haru smiled at his loving embrace.

* * *

**A/N: Comment, please!**


	10. To Put It Bluntly

Baron was standing in his room contemplating on what to do next. He began courting Haru, he confessed his love, she told him she loved him back, now what? Baron knew what he should do next, but how would Haru react to his secret? Would she freak out and leave? Faint? Cry? End their relationship and want to stay friends? Not be friends at all? Baron couldn't fathom all the possibilities.

A knock at the door brought Baron out of his thoughts. "Come in!" Toto and Muta entered the room.

"I heard Chicky humming in her room. Did something happen?" Muta teased.

"Something like that I guess" Baron said a little distractedly.

"What happened?" Toto enquired. Baron smiled at the question.

"I told her I loved her and she told me she loved me back" Baron said simply.

"Are you serious?" Muta asked as he rushed over to stand in front of Baron. He grabbed Baron's hand and began shaking it violently. "Do you think Chicky can break the curse?"

"Absolutely! I never had a doubt in my mind" Toto answered. "Congratulations, Baron!" Muta and Baron glared at Toto.

"Toto, my friend, you were the only one who didn't want to give Haru a chance at breaking the curse" Baron reminded his friend. Toto waved his hand like it was nothing.

"The past is in the past" Toto said as a blush spread across his pale skin. It contrasted greatly with his dark hair.

"Baron?!" Haru's voice carried through the air.

"In here Haru!" A minute later, the door opened to reveal Haru in plain dress. It was a pale yellow color with a simple lace covered bodice.

"Good morning, Toto and Muta."

"Haru" the bodyguards greeted. She smiled.

"It's a good thing you're here. I was just about to ask Baron if he wanted to go for a stroll. If he wants to, then you'll probably want to come along. Am I right?" Haru said. Toto nodded and glanced at Baron. He stood up and bowed slightly to Haru.

"I'd be delighted to accompany you outside" Baron said. He walked over his wardrobe and opened it up. He pulled out his grey top hat and grabbed his white cane from off the hook on the side of the wardrobe. He strode over to Haru and held out his arm for her to take. Haru giggled and put her hand through his arm. "Where would you like to go?" Baron asked as they got outside.

"I'm not sure. I just wanted to get some fresh air" Haru said. Baron nodded. He didn't mind if they walked around the whole city for no reason, as long as he was with Haru. "Oh, I know! Why don't we go check out the stalls? I've only been there once after I bought the earrings. They might have some new items that I'd like to buy."

"Okay, I'll get you anything you want" Baron said. Haru stopped walking. She could hear Muta and Toto run into each other behind her. She looked up at Baron with an angry face. He looked down at her in bewilderment. "What's wrong?" Haru sighed at Baron's cluelessness.

"I don't want you to buy me anything. If I want something, I'll buy it with _my_ _own_ money. I've sold some more handkerchiefs and you already gave me a job working for the orphanage even though I told you making quilts was volunteer work" Haru said in annoyance. "It's not that I'm not grateful. I just don't want to depend on you and get spoiled" Haru finished with a smile. Baron laughed.

"Of course" he chuckled.

As the couple walked down street passing by the vendors, Haru happily examined the wares each stall was selling. They only made it to the fifth vendor before they were stopped. "Excuse me?" a voice said from behind Baron and Haru. They both turned around to look at a middle-aged woman. "Ah Baron Von Gikkingen, how are you?" the lady asked.

"Hello Mrs. Abbey, I'm doing well. How about yourself?" Baron said politely.

"I'm doing just fine but Baron," Mrs. Abbey began as she grabbed Baron's arm and pulled him away from Haru a step or two, "did you know you're walking with a girl that is only half dressed?" She was referring to the casual dress Haru wore, a dress that should only be worn indoors and at home.

"What?" Haru said. Her tone of voice showed that she was hurt by the woman's words. The woman looked at Haru.

"My dear, you're barely wearing anything on. It isn't proper. Besides, you shouldn't listen in on other people's conversations. It is very rude" the woman said in agitation.

"Quite right, young lady" another voice added. "You shouldn't be walking so close to a nobleman anyway." It was some other upper class woman walking towards them.

"I recognize you. You should go back home…if you have one. You shouldn't be wandering around these parts. You don't fit in" the stall owner said from behind Haru. Haru spun around. Almost out of nowhere, a whole group of people gathered around Haru, pushing Baron out of the way. They began ganging up on her and throwing rude comments at her. Haru tried to push past all the upper class folk, but they were blocking her path. Haru looked around in a panic. Her eyes began to water.

"B-B-Baron?" Haru said softly in a scared voice. Baron tried pushing through the crowd to get back to Haru's side.

"Haru?!" Baron called out over the crowd, but his call was drowned out by the noise of the gathering crowd. Haru put her hands to her ears and crouched down. She began to rock back and forth on her heels as she muttered incoherent words to block out the offending insults. Tears began to stream down her face.

"Toto! Muta!" Baron shouted angrily. Toto and Muta appeared at Baron's side. "Help me get through this crowd!" His bodyguards nodded and began shoving people aside, ignoring their glares. After a good five minutes, Baron reached Haru's side. He knelt down beside Haru and rested his hands on her shoulders. Haru flinched, but she still looked up to see who was touching her. Baron attempted to give her a reassuring smile. Haru's red rimmed eyes only stared back at his green ones. Baron grabbed Haru's hands and gently pulled her to her feet. He wrapped an arm around Haru as she cried into his chest. Baron growled.

"How dare you?" Baron hissed darkly but loudly enough for everyone to hear. The crowd went silent. The only sound heard was Haru's muffled crying. "How could you insult someone you don't even know? How dare you gang up on someone and tear them down in the middle of a street, let alone the girl I'm courting and plan on marrying" Baron growled. His cold gaze flickered to every face in sight. People gasped. "I expected more from you all, but I guess I expected too much. I hope the next time I see any of you that you have thought about what you have done. No, I hope that at least Haru, who has a big heart, will at least forgive you. Good day" Baron said stiffly. He leaned down to draw Haru closer. "I'm going to take you home" Baron whispered as he picked Haru up bridal style. People stared at the indecent action. Haru clung to Baron's suit jacket.

Toto and Muta pressed through the crowd to clear a path for Baron and Haru. Toto and Muta began complaining after they left the stalls about how people were so rude and that even commoners were kinder. Baron and Haru stayed silent except for the occasional sniffling. Upon reaching the mansion, Baron carried Haru up to his room. Haru pulled away from Baron to look around.

"Why…are we…in your…room? Haru asked between sniffles.

"I wanted to make sure you were okay. I told Toto and Muta that I wanted no one to bother us, so they'll assume we're in my room" Baron said gently as he laid Haru down on his bed.

"I-I-I'm fine. I was just a little frightened when all those people surrounded me. I wasn't upset that they were saying mean things about me. I'm use to that. I was just a little upset that all of those people, your social class, your people, didn't like me. I thought that after meeting Hiromi and some of the other nice noble folk that people were beginning to like me…for me." Haru paused as she chocked on a sob. Baron wiped Haru's tears away as she took a deep breath, preparing herself to continue.

"I thought that even if I was different and still acted like a commoner and not like a proper lady they would still accept me. But no matter how hard I try to fit in, I forget the little things like changing my clothes before going out or never acting so casually with someone of a higher status. I still have the mind of a _peasant_. No matter what happens, no matter how hard I try, I will always be a _peasant_" Haru spit out like the words were poison. Baron shook his head. He wrapped Haru in a comforting hug.

"No. No. No. No! I don't care what people think about you or me for being with you. I love you, Haru, just the way you are. I love the way you dress whether it is in a shirt, coat, and pair of riding pants or in _lingerie_ because you think it's too hot in the mansion even though it is indecent. I love how you interact with the lower class and help them. I love how you want nothing more than what you need. I would love to be more like you. I would love to help and visit the lower class more. I would if I could be I don't have the time. Everything about you Haru is amazing. Don't change and don't feel like you need to change. It is honestly refreshing to be around someone who isn't stiff and proper. Please, don't be sad because you are not quite fitting in. You fit in my life and that's all I care about" Baron said swiftly as he held Haru's hands in his own. Haru began crying. Baron stiffened thinking he made matters worse. Haru laughed.

"Relax Baron, these are happy tears. You've made me feel so much better. Thank you" Haru said as she leaned up and kissed Baron. Baron smiled against Haru's lips. He could taste the saltiness of her tears. He began to deepen the kiss, but stopped like before, as he realized something. He took a deep breath.

"Haru, I think now is the best time to tell you something I've been keeping from you. You're going through emotions right now so while you're still going through them, since I don't know how you'll react to what I'm going to tell you, I might as well tell you now" Baron said. He stood up in nervousness and began to fiddle with his ring. Curse the nervous habit.

"Baron, what is it? It can't be that bad" Haru said encouragingly. Baron looked at her with doubt clouding his eyes.

"Haru, I'm…well my…it's only me right now but…umm, how do I put this?" Baron struggled to say as he ran a hand through his tawny hair. "My family is cursed!" Baron said in one breath. He squeezed his eyes tight so he wouldn't have to see Haru's reaction. But instead of the shock Baron was sure would hit Haru first, he heard laughter. Baron snapped his eyes open to shoot a ludicrous look at Haru. She was holding her hands to her stomach as she rolled on the bed. "Huh? W-W-What's so funny? Aren't you shocked? Frightened? Nauseous?" Haru stopped rolling on the bed to look at Baron.

"Why would I be any of those things?" Haru asked as she wiped away the tears that came out of her eyes from laughing so hard. Baron's mouth fell open. He waved a hand in the air dramatically.

"Hello? Curse?" Baron elaborated. Haru shrugged.

"I already knew you were cursed" Haru said. Baron's eyes widened this time.

"You knew?"

"Well not exactly but I had a theory. I've heard rumors about your family being strange. Everybody thought it was weird how you have bodyguards around you all the time and how you don't let anyone visit your house much. But what really helped prove my theory was right was when I told you I could talk to cats and then you didn't find it surprising or when I said Lune could do magic. I knew for sure after that that you had to know about magic yourself. I didn't really know you were cursed but I knew there was something magical about this place, especially when it comes to Humbert. He's like a ghost. Rarely around but some of your staff have said they've seen him and others have no clue who I'm talking about. It's not that hard to figure out there is something going on" Haru explained. "Is Humbert a magical cat like Lune?"

"Not exactly" Baron said awkwardly. "You see, it's just me that's cursed…along with Humbert as well I suppose."

"Well, what is your curse? I haven't seen anything too strange."

"My curse is…" Baron started.

* * *

**A/N: Last chance to guess what Baron's curse is or maybe say something you think you know about the curse. Next chapter all will be revealed. Please tell me your opinions and thoughts.**


	11. Cursed

"My curse is…no, it will be difficult to explain. Let me show you instead then I'll explain" Baron said. His eyes flickered to Haru's in nervousness. He bit the inside of his cheek as he raised his right hand to show Haru the gold ring on his ring finger.

"Does the ring have to do with your curse? Hmmm…now that I think about it, I've heard stories about your ring too" Haru said thoughtfully.

"My ring does have a part in the curse, yes…that's why I never take it off" Baron said uneasily. "But I'm going to take it off now to show you why I never take it off." Haru leaned forward in anticipation. Her hands gripped the covers of the bed excitedly. Baron gripped the ring with his fingers and slowly slid the small piece of jewelry off. As soon as the band of gold left his finger, Baron started glowing. Haru watched as Baron slowly shrunk and grew orange and cream fur on his body. When the transformation was complete, Humbert was now standing where Baron was the minute before. Haru jumped up and squealed. She ran over to Humbert to pick him up and spin him around.

"You're so cute! I knew you and Baron were alike…you're actually the same person…or cat in this case" Haru gushed. She hugged Humbert…or Baron now, and clutched him against her chest. She squeezed him and kissed his cheeks. He closed his eyes and started purring. "So adorable!" Baron snapped his eyes open at her in shock. He began to try and wriggle out of Haru's hold. "Baron, what are you doing?!" Baron ignored Haru and squirmed until he was free. He jumped to the bed with ease.

"Haru, you must understand. This isn't really part of the curse. My family over the generations learned this trick. We never use to be able to take on a feline shape. It was only about a hundred years ago that my family learned the secret to take on the form of a cat" Baron sighed. Haru cocked her head in question.

"What do you mean?" Baron's eyes avoided Haru's. He trained his gaze on the cat's eye ring on the floor. Haru's eyes trailed to where Baron was looking. She leaned down and picked up the gold band. She examined the ring in her hand. Haru's eyes went back to Baron in confusion.

"This isn't my true form" Baron said sheepishly. "This is" he said as his body began to grow again back to his human height except he kept all of his feline qualities. The only change besides his height was his hands shaping back into the shape of a human hand but with fur. Haru's eyes widened in amazement.

"That's so remarkable" Haru whispered but Baron's sensitive cat ears picked it up. His whiskers twitched in amusement and relief. Haru slowly walked over to Baron who was still sitting on the bed. His tail swished back and forth against the covers anxiously as Haru approached him.

"Haru, I—" Baron started to say. Before he got to finish, Haru abruptly captured Baron's face in between her hands. Her fingers rubbed and traced Baron's face as she studied it. Her hands went up to trail around his ears then back down to brush against his chin. Baron stayed silent as she played with his whiskers. Suddenly, she began giggling.

"You're so weird!" Haru laughed as she began to scratch behind the half-cat's ear. Baron closed his eyes and leaned into her touch on instinct and began to purr. Haru continued to giggle. A smile lit up her face as curiosity got the better of her. Slowly, so Baron wouldn't notice, she bent down and pressed her lips against his furry ones. Baron's eyes snapped open in surprise. Haru didn't notice and pressed her lips against his harder when he showed no reaction. Baron timidly kissed her back. Wasn't she grossed out by kissing him as a cat? He pulled away before they got too carried away. Baron flicked his ears in agitation.

"Haru, I didn't get to finish telling you the curse. I want to tell you everything I know about it" Baron said while trying to sound annoyed, but it didn't work. He couldn't be angry at Haru when he loved her so much or for being fascinated with him.

"Go ahead" Haru said softly as she settled onto the bed next to Baron. She laid her hand on top of Baron's. It was warm and soft from the fur.

"Well, the information on the origin of the curse is gone. Nobody in my family knows why we were cursed. The only information we have is that about a thousand years ago my great great great great…you know never mind…my something great grandfather was cursed by a sorcerer. When he was cursed, he was pretty old. Anyway, he was cursed to be a cat and human at the same time. Therefore, my family came up with the term half-cat for us. Along with the curse, my however many greats grandfather also got that ring. The purpose of the ring is to give the wearer the form of a human instead of their new half-cat forms" Baron said. Haru smiled as she slipped the ring on her finger and examined it on herself. To her surprise, the slightly large ring shrunk to fit on her finger perfectly. It must adjust to the size of the wearer.

"Wow! It suits you" she opinionated as she stared at the gem that resembled a feline's eye.

"Thanks. The terms of the curse were sort of complicated and confusing. First off, the curse will only affect males in the family and the curse skips every other generation. So say it was the year the curse was supposed to take place and a girl was born, then she'd be normal and not cursed and the curse wouldn't take effect until her grandchild was born…if it was a boy. The curse only affects firstborns too. I don't know why the whole ordeal is so complicated. Do you understand?" Haru nodded.

"Yeah, I get it. It was your father's side of the family that was cursed, right?"

"Yes."

"Then the curse skipped his generation and you fell to the cursed year. That means that your grandfather was cursed too or was it your grandmother that was on the cursed side of your family?" Haru questioned.

"My grandfather, Humbert. Louise was my grandmother's name. She married into the family, but you get the point. So nothing would be confusing, if a female was born in the family, she would convince her husband to take on the name Von Gikkingen instead of his last name like tradition states. I'm not sure why they wanted to keep the name Von Gikkingen all the way, but that little family tradition is still carried on to this day. I think it is so that my family can easily keep track of who the cursed line carries on to. Anyone with the Von Gikkingen name is in a cursed family" Baron stated. Haru gave Baron a quizzical look. She raised a hand to her head in and groaned.

"So if we had a girl then she wanted to get married, she'd ask her fiancé to take on the name Von Gikkingen?" Haru asked. She was getting a little confused as Baron elaborated on the curse. Although Baron was covered in fur, he was obviously embarrassed about the question since he shifted in his seat. The question was so suggestive that she wanted to marry him and have kids. Baron couldn't wrap his head around it.

"Y-Y-Yes" Baron stuttered. "A-Another thing about the curse is that it doesn't take effect until the child turns five years old."

"Why five?"

"I have a theory that it is so the parent of the cursed child has a chance to raise a regular human child, plus it would be hard to take care of a species you're not familiar with. I also think that is so the child can reach an age where they can wear the cat's eye ring without fussing over it and trying to take it off. A five year old might have the sense to keep it on" Baron hypothesized.

"I guess that makes sense" Haru said in understanding. She was still a little confused, but she got the general idea.

"There's one more characteristic about the curse that I have yet to mention. It's that the curse can be broken. The way it can be broken is for the cursed man to fall in love with a girl and have that love returned. After their love is mutual then the girl has to destroy the relic that the curse is tied to. There are two problems with this part of the curse. The first is that if the cursed male falls in love with a girl then it has to be that girl to return his love. It is only the first love that will work for the curse. If the cursed male falls in love a second time then the curse is ineffective because it was not the man's first love. The second problem with this part of the curse is that nobody in my family knows what the cursed relic is or where it is at" Baron said sourly.

"Didn't the sorcerer tell your whatever great grandfather what it was?"

"Technically yes, but my grandfather was old as I mentioned before and he had short term memory loss. I think the sorcerer was happy on that part though because my grandfather married his first love and she loved him no matter what he looked like so if he remembered what the relic was then he could just have my grandmother to destroy it and end the curse before it was even started. But sadly after learning what the relic was, he forgot. My family has searched for the relic for hundreds of years. Some look and some don't. The ones that don't search already found love. They don't care whether they have the relic or not since they have the ring to make them human. The ones that usually search are the ones that are lonely and don't want to put up with the curse anymore in fear that their grandchildren will be scorned in society if the people ever found out about it."

"What about you? I don't care what you look like either way. Do you still want to break the curse?" Haru asked as she rested her hand on Baron's arm. She leaned forward to look at him. Baron's cat ears flattened. His green eyes fixated themselves on Haru.

"Yes. I want to be the one to break the curse and save future generations from pain. I had to live my whole life in this house. Sure I had the ring, but even with the ring, I was always on the edge. I felt like people knew about my curse or that they were going to find out. I was terrified. I don't want anybody else to feel that way. When I first met you, I was so scared because I did my best not to fall in love but upon seeing your smiling face, I was smitten. I knew at that moment that I gave up my chance on breaking the curse unless you loved me in return. Muta and Toto were so angry at me for falling in love so quickly. But even now, I feel that in my heart you can do it. You can break the curse for me, Haru" Baron said as he gently lifted her hands in his and pressed a kiss to her fingertips. Haru blushed.

"I'd love to help you, Baron. I just don't know where to start. I don't even know what the relic is or what it looks like!" Baron chuckled. Haru pouted.

"Haru, as happy as I would be for the curse to be broken, I'll still be happy if you don't break it because I have you now" Baron said as he slowly slipped the gold ring off of Haru's finger and held it in front of his. The ring grew in size and he slipped it on. Baron's fur slowly disappeared along with his tail and ears. Baron was once again flesh and hair.

"Does the staff know about your curse?"

"Only a select few. The people that know are Toto, Muta, Yuki did when she was here, and most of the staff that were here when I was born. I think that's about one third of the staff all together. Now you know too."

"Thank you for trusting me enough to tell me" Haru said as she leaned her head against Baron's shoulder.

"Anything for you, my dear" Baron said.

"But I still want to see you as a full cat. You're too cute and cuddly" Haru said with puppy dog eyes as she looked up at Baron. He chuckled darkly.

"I would enjoy that very much."

* * *

**A/N: Short and sort of boring. Sorry for all the dialogue too. Yeah, and don't be confused about the curse. None of it is really relevant…unless I make a sequel which I don't plan on doing. Oh well, at least you know the content of the curse now. I like complicated curses. If you still have questions, just PM me or leave it in a review.**

**Also, I was asked a few questions about the story. Here they are for those people who were wondering themselves.**

**Q:How long has it been since Haru first met Baron?  
A: 2 months and 3 weeks  
Q:How long has it been since her mother died?  
A: 2 months  
Q:How long has it been since she started living with him?  
A: 1 month and 3 weeks  
Q:How long has it been since the ball?  
A: About 3 days...I think  
Q:How long has Baron been courting Haru?  
A: 1 month and 2 weeks  
Now I think all of these answers are right...give or take a few days.**


	12. How Dare You!

Baron was sitting at his desk in his study. The pen in his hand scribbled frantically against a sheet of paper on his desk. He had so much work to do today. The orphanage needed renovations and the shelter needed more employees. More people seemed to be coming in each day. There weren't enough workers to go around and attend to the newcomers.

"I heard you told Haru about the curse" a voice said from the doorway. Baron looked up in surprise. Toto was leaning against the door frame to the study. Strangely enough, Muta was nowhere in sight.

"Indeed" Baron said before focusing his attention back on the paperwork. "You need to sign this." Baron could hear Toto sigh. The next thing Baron knew was that Toto grabbed a pen off of Baron's desk and swiftly put his hand on the paper Baron was writing on. He used his fingers to swivel the paper around so he could read it. After a few short seconds of skimming the words, Toto scribbled his signature down on the document before turning the paper back to Baron.

"Tell me Baron, how did Haru handle the revelation? I can't tell if it was good or bad. If it was bad, you'd be either sulking or drowning yourself in work. If it was good then you'd be happy or acting normal. But I do remember a lot of paperwork yesterday, so it could be coincidence that you're doing work at the moment" Toto said skeptically as he watched Baron pause in his writing.

"I'm doing work because there is work that needs to be done. Besides, do you really need to know what goes on between Haru and me in our personal relationship?" Baron asked as he picked up the paper in his hand and nodded at it in satisfaction. He set the paper on top of a stack to his right. After putting the document in the finished pile, Baron got a paper off of the pile on the left. He quickly read the first few lines before scrawling down his signature and continuing to read.

Toto slowly placed the tip of his fingers on the paper Baron was reading and pulled it away from him. Baron looked up at Toto with a raised eyebrow in question. "It isn't my business but since Haru is like my sister, well, I want to know if-if…" Toto began to say but hesitated.

"If what?"

"…If she hates us and wants to leave or if she's going to stay" Toto finished shakily. Baron smiled at his friend's fear.

"Toto, my friend, I'm afraid we won't be getting rid of Haru anytime soon. She quite enjoys the curse and finds some parts of it…entertaining" Baron said in amusement. Toto looked at Baron with confusion written all over his face.

"Huh?"

"Let's just say that Haru likes it when I turn into a full cat. She doesn't mind me being a half-cat either. She finds that when I purr, it is amusing" Baron said.

"But don't you purr when you're a human too?" Toto asked. Baron smirked. There was a twinkle in his eye.

"I've been suppressing that ability since the day I met her. I'll let her figure that part out on her own." Toto shook his head and smiled.

"I think you have too much fun when it concerns Haru" Toto said as he slid the paper he took from Baron back to the spot it was before. Baron carefully grabbed it and set it in the finished pile.

"I think I'll take a break. I could use a cup of tea" Baron said as he pushed his chair back while he stood up. "Do you know where Haru is at the moment?"

"I believe she is in her bedroom working on a handkerchief for the old woman that lives about three doors down the street" Toto answered.

"Maybe she'll care to join me" Baron said as he put all of his work supplies away and left the room with Toto following behind him. Baron headed towards the hallway that led to Haru's and his room. "By the way, where _is_ Muta?"

"In the kitchen eating angel food cake" Toto said in annoyance. "He already ate the pie the cooks made yesterday. I don't know how he's still living!"

"He's still alive so you won't get lonely" Baron teased. "We all know you two only fight to keep each other in good spirits and that you secretly like fighting. You're friends that don't know how to act normally around each other, so you do the only thing you can do. Fight" Baron said. His voice held a hint of mirth in it. Toto blushed behind Baron and muttered under his breath. He quickly excused himself from Baron's company and headed in the direction of his room.

Baron reached Haru's door and knocked. Baron heard Haru say something urgently under her breath on the other side of the door. It wasn't until a minute later that Haru opened the door. She was holding a cream colored handkerchief to her finger.

"Hello Baron, what did you need?" Haru asked. Baron looked down at Haru's hand before responding.

"Uh…I just wanted to know if you'd join me for tea" Baron said a little distractedly. "Did I scare you? What happened to your finger?"

Haru laughed weakly in embarrassment. "You did sort of frighten me. I sort of jumped when I heard your voice and stabbed myself with a sewing needle. I had to quickly drop the handkerchief I was working on so it didn't get blood on it. It's white so the blood would have stained it" Haru explained. Baron frowned.

"I'm sorry" Baron said as he took Haru's handkerchief away from her finger and lifted the appendage to his lips. Baron softly kissed the tip of Haru's finger then laced his fingers through hers. "Tea?" Haru smiled and nodded. Baron tucked Haru's cream handkerchief in his front suit jacket's pocket. He led Haru to the parlor room and sat her and himself down on the settee. Baron picked up the teapot and poured two cups of tea. "Milk or honey today?" Haru put a finger to her chin in thought.

"Milk."

"Wise choice" Baron said with a smile as he poured some milk in both cups. He picked up the saucers and handed Haru's cup and saucer to her. Baron took his own and raised the tea to his lips. After taking a sip of his homemade blend, Baron set the cup down to look at Haru, who was staring blankly at the brown liquid. "Haru, is something wrong?"

"…"

"Haru?" Baron said as he set his cup down. He gently took one of Haru's hands in one of his and used the other one to take the tea from Haru. Haru didn't say anything. Baron scooted closer to the brunette and took her face in his hands. He carefully made Haru look at him. He could see her brown eyes watering. His heart broke. "Oh Haru."

"I-I-I'm sorry. I just couldn't help but think about yesterday."

"Haru, don't think about that. Those people were out of line" Baron said as he pulled Haru closer and cradled her in his arms.

"I'm not thinking about what they said. I just want to go back to see the stalls again. I saw something there I wanted to get but…what will I do if I'm mobbed again?!" Haru said frantically. Baron loosened his hold on the girl in relief. He was glad she wasn't worrying about the crude words those people came up with. He chuckled.

"Don't worry, my dear. We can go back and purchase the item you fancy then come back home as fast as we can. I can even get the other bodyguards to come if you want" Baron said in amusement.

"Other bodyguards?" Haru said. Baron nodded.

"Of course! What if I held a party here in the mansion? I'd need extra security, wouldn't I? My other bodyguards just don't get work often at times. Muta and Toto insist I use them even if they were hired mostly to be my close advisors. Everyone else just gets free time if they don't have work, or they help the other workers. It all works out. They don't mind getting paid to do nothing" Baron said cheerfully.

"I see" Haru said in amazement. She smiled and looked over at Baron. "Can you have the other bodyguards come?" Baron nodded.

"Anything for you" he said sweetly. Haru smiled and leaned closer to Baron. They were so close now that her chest was pressed against his.

"Can you come to the stalls with me…as a cat?"

"A cat? Why not a human?" Baron questioned.

"Because you can scratch anybody without them knowing it's you! As a human, you'll only use words to fight. Scratching is much more fun!" Haru said with sparkling eyes. Her smile could light up the whole room.

"Haru!" Baron said in shock. Haru giggled and playfully hit Baron's chest.

"Awww Baron, I was only joking. I just feel that with you as a cat, it will be more soothing especially if you purr" Haru said as she traced the tip of her nail down Baron's throat. He shivered at the touch. Baron smiled and leaned down so that his lips were centimeters from Haru's. Out of nowhere, a low and deep rumbling came from Baron's throat. Haru gasped, but before she could say anything, Baron kissed her passionately. Haru wrapped her arms around Baron's neck and deepened the kiss. She smiled against his lips and let out a giggle as she felt the vibration of the purr on her lips. After a minute of kissing, Haru gently pushed Baron away from her.

"Why didn't you tell me you could purr as a human?"

"It was more amusing to show you" Baron said as he smirked at her. "Besides, I need to be _really_ happy for it to work."

"I still want you to come with me as a cat" Haru said as she got up off the settee and went to the door. She stopped in the doorway to look back at Baron over her shoulder.

"I'll see you in ten minutes, so you better get moving and gather those bodyguards" Haru said. Slowly her smile turned into a frown. "I'm going to change into something more…fitting for going out. I don't want an incident like last time." With that said, Haru disappeared around the corner. Baron left the tea cups be and rushed out of the room towards the servant's wing of the mansion. He gathered about ten of his bodyguards up then found Toto and Muta and added them to the group. The bodyguards were surprised to get work, but the surprise lessened when Baron explained to them that they would be protecting Haru as she went shopping. Toto and Muta were put on undercover duty. They were to blend in with the crowd and watch everything from a distance.

Haru was waiting by the door by the time everyone was assigned a task. Baron, or Humbert to some of the workers since he was in his cat form, was the last to show up as he jumped up into Haru's arms. She smiled at him and began scratching behind his ears. Baron's purr immediately started up again. With everyone ready, Haru opened the door and went outside. There was a bodyguard on her right and left side. Everyone else stayed in the shadows, much to Baron's distress. Haru argued with him before he went to go change into a cat that people would think she's weak and taking advantage of Baron's power. She wanted to at least look semi-casual. Having too many people around her would look suspicious and draw attention.

Upon reaching the street lined with stalls of various merchandise, Haru's body stiffened. Baron could sense Haru's discomfort. He soothingly rubbed his head against Haru's arm in attempt to comfort her. Haru kept staring ahead, but a weak smile graced her features. "Where would you like to go, Miss Haru?" one of the bodyguards next to her asked. Haru's eyes flickered from vendor to vendor. They finally stopped and fixated on a stall at the end of the street.

"That one on the right. It's the second one before the end" Haru said as she adjusted Baron in her arms and pointed in the direction of the stall she was talking about. The bodyguard nodded and began to guide Haru through the crowd of people. Quite a few eyes were on Haru. Some looked at her in disgust, others guilt, and a few looked at her in admiration. Haru made it to the stall without any interruptions. Silently, she scanned the ware and tried to locate what she saw the other day. She picked up the item with care. Haru held it up so it glittered in the sun. It was a small decorative hair comb. The kind that a person puts in their hair to hold it in place or just add accessory to the outfit. The comb was silver except for the gold cat etched into the top. It had two small green eyes that sparkled back at anyone who looked at it.

"Ah, it's the girl who came here yesterday. I see you have a fine eye for ware. Do you find that piece to your liking?" the seller said. Haru smiled.

"It's beautiful. I'll take it" Haru breathed out. The man smiled.

"That will be one hundred dollars. I'm afraid it's so much money because the two eyes on the cat are pure jade. The gold and silver are almost one hundred percent pure mineral also. It just isn't because the maker didn't want the comb to become tarnished after a while."

"Oh, that's fine. Hold on" Haru said to the man as she opened up her clutch. Baron crawled up onto Haru's shoulders and wrapped his body around her neck. She dug around the clutch for a while until she pulled out the right amount of money. She never spent the money Baron gave her as pay, so she had quite a bit saved up. Baron was spoiling her. Maybe she could sneak into his room and sneak the money back without him knowing. All the money in her clutch made her feel uncomfortable. "Here you go, sir." Haru handed the man his money. He smiled and offered to wrap the comb, but Haru politely denied his request.

"Have a good day, miss" the seller said as Haru waved and walked away. She stared at the hair comb happily before fastening the comb snuggly into her hair so it wouldn't fall out. Haru grinned as she walked back down the street towards Baron's mansion.

"It's her!"

"Indeed it is. I can't believe Baron Von Gikkingen hired a whore" a voice hissed from Haru's right. Haru stopped walking and frowned. She lowered her gaze; her hair cast a shadow over her face. Baron stood up from Haru's shoulders and hissed. His back arched in anger. His fur stood up straight.

"Come Miss Haru, let's keep moving" the younger of the two bodyguards said. He gently placed a hand on the small of her back to coax her forward. Haru didn't budge as he pressed his palm against her back. A small crowd once again gathered around the brunette. It wasn't even half as large as the day before, but it was still at least a dozen or more people.

"Mr. Von Gikkingen must have knocked her up. It's the only reason she's probably with him…or him giving her money to take care of the child."

"Most likely. He's too nice of a person to just kick the girl carrying his child out on the street."

"_Haru,_ _please_" the young bodyguard insisted, dropping the formalities as he tried to get her moving again. Haru held up a hand to stop the bodyguard from speaking. Her head snapped up so she could glare at all the people around them.

"I am no _whore_!" Haru yelled. Her eyes were watering, but no tears fell from her eyes. Her voice shook with anger. "You people all think so lowly of me for no reason! Well, let me tell you something. I never asked for any of this. I never asked to be courted not by one but two noblemen! I never asked for your opinion of me! I never asked for you to approve of me either! I'm a person too. I have feelings. I had hoped you'd respect that. I can see the example you set for your children. I can only hope my children at least treat _yours_ with some respect in the future. You could learn from it. Good day." As Haru finished speaking, all the ten bodyguards that Baron had come with Haru now surrounded her in a circle. They pushed the people out of the way and led Haru back home.

"You think too lowly of Miss Haru and Mr. Von Gikkingen. Mr. Von Gikkingen would never stoop to something so low" one bodyguard said darkly to the crowd. Baron jumped down off Haru' shoulders and ran into the crowd of people.

"B-B-Baron!" Haru called. She turned around to go back and fetch him, but the bodyguards blocked her. "Let me through! I need to get him."

"It's too risky. Mr. Von Gikkingen said to take you back home once you were done shopping. It's just a cat. It'll be fine."

"No! He's not just a cat. That's Baron's cat!" The bodyguards ignored Haru's cries and ushered her forward.

In the crowd of people, Baron was busy scratching at some of the men's ankles, the ones who insulted Haru. He was kicked and yelled at, but he didn't care. Baron didn't hesitate to rip some of the women's dresses up either. Once he felt satisfied, Baron slunk away into a nearby alleyway where he sat. Slowly, his body morphed until Baron was now in his true form of a half-cat. Baron sighed and took off his top hat. He flipped it over to look inside. He spotted the tiny pocket stitched on the inside. He used his finger to gently slide the ring out from it. He slipped the ring onto his finger and felt his body become colder from the air hitting his flesh.

To his left, Toto and Muta slipped out of the shadows silently to stand by his side. "Poor Chicky" Muta said miserably.

"Why are all these people saying horrible things about Haru? It's not like them. Sure, they never were nice to commoners or peasants, but this is getting out of hand. Usually, everyone is very accepting to the lower class if someone of the upper class takes them in. This just isn't normal" Baron said with a frown. "I've noticed that a lot of people feel bad for saying what the said to Haru yesterday. Most of them love Haru! They just seem put off since yesterday. I noticed that the only people who didn't seem to say something ill-natured toward her are the Grants and Beckhams."

"Probably because the Grants adopted a boy from the orphanage when he was young since they couldn't have children. They know what the lower class is like. As for the Beckhams, if I'm not mistaken, Mr. Beckham used to be a poor baker. Mrs. Beckham would go to the bakery every day to see him until he proposed to her. Her mother and father weren't too pleased about her marrying him, but they just adored him after getting to know him. Nobody complained then" Toto said.

"Does anyone hold a grudge against Chicky?"

"I'm not sure. Everyone whoever met her fell for her charm. They all love her. They were really surprised to learn she was a peasant. They all thought she was the perfect lady. She has the best manners and poise. Acting like a proper lady is second nature to her" Baron said. He carefully peeked around the corner to the alleyway. The crowd that surrounded Haru was chatting aimlessly amongst each other. Baron gripped his cane roughly and stepped into the light. He strode over to the crowd. Some of the people facing in his direction spotted him and gasped. They backed up and looked at the ground guiltily. The females curtsied, and the males bowed. Baron was one of three men in the city with a title, so he was obviously in a superior class. The noblemen and women had to show respect in his presence. Baron never liked being praised like a god, but it felt a little nice, at the moment, to have power.

"Baron Humbert Von Gikkingen" a woman said softly. Her voice shook in nervousness.

"Would you mind telling me why people have been insulting the woman I am courting?" Baron said stiffly. Everyone diverted their eyes from Baron. He growled. "I am trying to be civil."

"We heard that the girl you are courting…Miss Haru is her name, right?" a woman began. Baron nodded. "We heard that she is a hired prostitute."

"We also heard that you hired her, and she is pregnant with your child" a man added.

"Where did you hear such an absurd rumor? I would never be anything but a gentleman to her. Besides, it would be improper to perform such an act without being married!"

"Some men do it no matter how scandalous and sinful" a woman huffed.

"That did not answer my question to who told you this lie!" Baron said angrily. Toto and Muta watched on in silence.

"It was Mr. York. The younger one" a man answered.

"Machida?! I'm going to get him. Thank you for your cooperation" Baron said with a tip of his hat. Baron stormed away with Toto and Muta hot on his trail.

"Baron?! What are doing?" Toto said lowly. Baron's eyes narrowed.

"I'm going to see Haru and tell her what I have learned. Then we can both decide what to do with Machida" Baron said with finality. He reached the mansion and slammed the door behind him after Toto and Muta scurried past him. "I never liked him anyway. Who was he to think he could steal Haru away from me?" Toto and Muta said nothing as Baron headed towards Haru's room.

* * *

**A/N: Da da da! Machida is horrible, but not a total bad guy. Wait until you hear why he did what he did! Please review.**


	13. Rain Dance

"It was Machida?!" Haru screamed out. Baron nodded his head angrily.

"I never trusted him" Baron said. Haru's angry expression turned into one of amusement. Her eyes sparkled with mirth. Her anger long faded away.

"I think that's only because you were jealous of him" Haru teased. Baron blushed. He cleared his throat awkwardly.

"Even before I met you" Baron said stubbornly. Haru shook her head and smiled. She walked over to Baron and placed a hand on his cheek. Baron's emerald eyes drifted to Haru's instantly as he leaned into her touch.

"You're a terrible liar" Haru said.

"Then how come you didn't figure out I was cursed until I told you?!" Baron said in protest.

"Well, I already suspected that there was something magical about this place, so you didn't hide that part very well." Baron pouted at Haru's remark.

"That's not the point" he said as he crossed his arms over his chest. Haru giggled at the childish action.

"What should we do about Machida?" she asked in sudden seriousness. Baron frowned.

"I say we do things the civil way and confront him about it" Baron said. Machida was never a horrible person in the past. He used to be a proper gentleman. Maybe he'd have a reasonable explanation for all this.

"Good idea, Baron!" Haru said. She was one for reasonable decisions and not rash ones also.

"When do you want to leave, love?" Baron said gently as he grasped Haru's hands in his. His thumbs drew circles on her skin.

"I think tomorrow would be the best time to go. It would be improper to show up unannounced. We should send them a warning ahead of time" Haru said thoughtfully.

"Of course!" Baron agreed. "I'll send word right away." Baron stood up abruptly and rushed out of the room. Haru giggled once again at his actions.

_The next day…_

"Are you ready to go, love?" Baron asked as he glanced back at Haru who was coming towards him.

"As ready as I'll ever be" Haru replied as she laced her arms through his. She looked at the ground sadly.

"What's wrong, Haru?" Baron said quietly, placing his hand over Haru's.

"I just can't believe Machida would do something as cruel as what he did" Haru explained.

"It will be alright" Baron said softly. Haru weakly smiled at him as he led her to the carriage waiting outside. The trip to the York's home was again short like the last time. Upon reaching the mansion, Baron escorted Haru to the door before ringing the doorbell. The same maid from last time answered the door and led them inside. She took them to an empty sitting room before leaving and saying that her masters would be with them shortly. During the wait, Haru twiddled her thumbs anxiously while Baron wrapped an arm around her shoulder comfortingly.

"Haru!" a voice said cheerfully. Haru looked up to see Mr. and Mrs. York enter the room. Machida was not with them.

"Hello, sir and madam" Haru said politely as she stood and bowed. Baron stood next to her and waited for the Yorks to bow before bowing himself. The all sat down together.

"We have missed you terribly so" Mrs. York said sadly as she clasped one of Haru's hands in her own. "We feel awful about what happened with our son. We only wish we could do something to show how sorry we are."

"Yes, indeed" Mr. York agreed as he looked pointedly at Baron. Baron could tell that Mr. York was silently asking him if there was something Baron, in general, wanted to receive as an apology, for Baron was the superior in social class in the room.

"Oh no! We don't need anything. We just want to speak to Machida for a short while" Haru said.

"I'm afraid he won't be coming back home until lunch. You are free to stay here until then" Mr. York invited. Haru smiled in thanks.

"He's been out of sorts since the ball. He feels awful for what he did, dearie" Mrs. York said solemnly.

"I should hope so" Baron said with a hint of a growl. The two elder Yorks looked down at their laps in shame and embarrassment. Despite, the slight tension and awkwardness of the air, Haru and Baron made polite conversation with the Yorks until it was lunchtime. The Yorks asked Baron and Haru to join them and so they did.

It wasn't until a few minutes after lunch, and everyone was back in the sitting room, when they heard the front door open. Footsteps could be heard coming down the hall and getting closer by the minute. Haru slightly withdrew into Baron but straightened her back and lifted her head nonetheless. "Mother?! Father?!" Machida called as he walked down the hallway.

"In here" Mrs. York said with a nervous dart of her eyes towards Baron and Haru. Machida's pace quickened and he opened the door to the sitting room. He paused once he saw Haru and Baron in the room. He shakily took a deep breath and was about to turn to leave the room but a voice stopped him.

"Machida?" Haru said softly. Machida turned towards Haru a little guiltily.

"Baron. Haru" Machida said in greeting as he stepped into the room and closed the door behind him.

"May we speak in private?" Haru said quietly. The Yorks nodded and left the room. Baron placed a hand on Haru's. Machida's eyes followed the movement, and he frowned. His brows furrowed in agitation. Haru directed her gaze at Baron. "You go too." Baron opened his mouth to protest, but he closed it once he saw Haru's pleading eyes.

"Okay" he said before quickly pecking Haru on the lips and leaving. He made sure to glare at Machida on the way out. Once the door closed and only Haru and Machida were left, a deafening silence filled the room.

"So I see you and Baron are getting along well?" Machida said to break the silence.

"Yes" Haru said. She squeezed her lips together until they formed a thin line. Machida sighed.

"Go ahead. Say what you want to say." Haru's shoulders slumped at the words.

"Why?" Haru said sorrowfully…desperately. Machida squeezed his eyes shut.

"I don't have a good excuse for my actions" Machida started. His eyes opened to stare at Haru longingly. "I didn't mean what I said at the ball. Those guys...they just…I was so angry but I couldn't stop myself for saying something…something that would make me fit in. Living in the upper class is a living struggle, Haru. If I didn't say what I said back then, then they would have thought lower of me. They expect someone like me to show power and keep up a reputation. Do you think that if I punched them all for what they said then told them that I was with you because you were an amazing person that they would have accepted it? No. They would have thought I wasn't a man. I never meant to hurt you, Haru. I truly and sorry for what I said. It's survival of the fittest" Machida rambled. Haru frowned at the words.

"If you're sorry, then how come you spread rumors around the city that I was a _whore_? Not only that but also that I was carrying Baron's child!" Haru screamed out. Her hands grabbed fists full of fabric. A few stray tears ran down Haru's face. Machida's eyes widened.

"I swear it wasn't meant to go that far!"

"So you admit that you did start those rumors!"

"Technically, yes, but it's only because I love you!" The room fell into silence once again. Machida blushed from where he was standing and turned away from Haru.

"Y-Y-You love me?" Haru asked hesitantly. Machida could only nod at the question. Haru frowned and shook her head to clear her thoughts. "I don't believe you" Haru said firmly. Machida spun around in shock to look at Haru. She was giving Machida an icy glare.

"Why?"

"Well, why would you hurt me by telling people I'm a whore?!"

"I was just angry because I knew you chose Baron over me. I didn't want anyone else to love you the way I did, so I spread a rumor about you around so they couldn't love you like I did." Haru said nothing as she thought about what Machida said.

"Okay, I believe you love me but apparently that wasn't enough" Haru said as she stood up from her seat and smoothed out the skirt of her dress.

"Huh?"

"You obviously didn't love me enough to not spread rumors around. You should have known I would have gotten hurt in the process. People don't hurt people they love. You hurt me by spreading that rumor" Haru said like it was obvious.

"I'm sorry. I know I'm not the best person in the world, but please forgive me. I love you, Haru. Please. Marry me?" Machida said as he strode over to Haru and grasped her hands in his. Haru gasped.

Before she could say anything, the door burst open and an orange and cream cat launched itself at the seat behind Haru. It jumped up then used the seat to jump up on Haru's shoulder. The cat carefully balanced itself then wrapped itself around Haru's neck. Haru freed one of her hands from Machida's and gently touched the tawny cat's head. Her eyes widened in surprise.

"A cat?" Machida said in confusion. Haru bit her lip.

"I'm sorry. This is Baron's cat. I don't know how he got here" Haru said in an accusing tone. Baron just hissed and swiped a paw in Machida's direction. Machida ignored the feline and gently tugged on Haru's hand. She turned her full attention back on him.

"An answer" he said softly…fearfully.

"M-M-Machida! I'm flattered but…I think you already know my answer" Haru said apologetically. Machida's confidence faltered but he stayed smiling anyway. His heart broke on the inside.

"It was an honor to challenge Baron for your heart. I still hope we can stay wonderful friends. I don't know what I'd do if you weren't in my life" Machida said. Haru's smile brightened.

"I forgive you for what you did. I hope we can stay friends too. Just please, try and stop that rumor going around" Haru said uneasily. Machida nodded.

"Anything" he said as he kissed Haru's knuckles then her cheek. Baron hissed and just missed Machida's face with his extended claws by a centimeter. Haru quickly swatted Baron on the paw.

"Humbert, be nice!" she scolded. Baron's ears flattened. His lips were drawn back in a snarl.

"You should probably go. Baron's probably pacing outside" Machida said. Haru laughed.

"No, I think he's probably planning plots to hurt you. He's good with being sneaky. He has cat-like reflexes, you know?"

Baron tensed on Haru's shoulders, so she scratched behind his ear to calm him down. A loud a deep purr was heard throughout the room. Machida raised an eyebrow but didn't say anything. "I'll escort you back out to the carriage. There is no doubt in my mind that Baron is waiting for you" Machida said dejectedly.

"Thank you" Haru said as she looped her arm through Machida's. Machida led Haru down the hall and back to the door. The sound of pitter patter was heard outside. Machida frowned and turned to grab an umbrella from the umbrella stand. Before he could offer an umbrella to Haru, she stood on her tippy toes and kissed Machida on the cheek. She paused and her mouth was near Machida's ear. "I love you too, Machida. I just wish it could be the type of love you wanted" she breathed. As soon as the words left her mouth, Haru slipped away from Machida and yanked the door open. Baron yowled in distress as he and Haru were showered in the rain. Haru ignored the carriage driver waiting outside and ran down the street.

Baron jumped from Haru's shoulder and ran behind a nearby hedge. A flash was seen before a human Baron reappeared. Haru paused in her running to look at Baron. She flashed him a mischievous smile and broke off into a run again. Baron's eyes widened, but he grinned anyway. He took off after her. It wasn't until they were in front of his mansion that Baron caught up to Haru and wrapped her in his arms. Haru giggled and struggled in his grasp. Baron stilled her with a kiss. He took off his wet suit jacket, top hat, and cane and tossed them onto stairs to the house.

Like a gentleman, Baron bowed deeply to Haru and held out a hand to her. Haru blinked in surprise. Her cheeks turned a pretty pink. She smiled at him bashfully before curtsying. She took his hand. Baron pulled her flush against him and led her into a fast paced waltz. He threw in a few dips and twirls in the process. The two laughed the whole time. Water flew off of their bodies as they twirled around the empty street. Neither one noticed the multiple pair of eyes looking out of the windows to the mansion. A good majority of the spying servants smiled at the sweet scene of their master and friend.

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**A/N: Awww, a happy moment at the end. Don't worry. I'm going to try to make the chapter pure fluff or a good majority of it. Please review. Tell me your opinions on the story. Seriously, the story may be pre-written but if you want to see something happen, then just tell me. I'd be happy to throw it in somewhere….but no sex scenes.**


	14. The Heat is Rising

"B-B-Baron! I want to see Baron" Haru said shakily. Suddenly, she scrunched up her face and her nose twitched a little. "ACHOO!" Haru sniffed and rubbed her red nose with her handkerchief.

"Nope. Not until tomorrow, Miss Haru. His temperature is a little high from that stunt you two pulled yesterday. We want to make sure he's not sick before you can see him. You, however, need to stay in bed. You're a little worse off. I know you may not remember, but you have a fever. You've been falling in and out of consciousness for the past few hours" one of the family nurses that live in the mansion said.

"I'm fine…really" Haru said weakly as she yawned. She clenched her hands into fists and raised them above her head into a stretch. She weakly smiled in content then fell against the soft pillows before drifting off to sleep. The nurse smiled. She gently dipped the rag she was holding into a basin full of cold water. She wrung it out and placed the cool cloth on Haru's forehead. Haru's breathing was a little shallow as she tried to breath. Her face was flushed a deep red color and sweat covered the girl's skin. The nurse knew not to panic when Haru was awake, but it was one of the worse fevers she had ever seen. Haru had been acting delirious only a few hours earlier. At least this time when she woke up, she seemed better.

"Abigail?" a quiet voice called out as the nurse shut the door to Haru's room. Abigail, the nurse, looked around in confusion. Where had the voice come from? "Abigail!" the voice called out again but a bit more insistently. Abigail sighed upon recognizing the owner of the voice. She stepped in front of Baron's door.

"I don't want to hear any word from you. You should be sleeping! You can see Haru tomorrow if I deem you healthy enough. In the meantime, I will tell Muta and Toto how Haru is doing. I'll come back in a couple of hours with some medicine for her. If you're well rested, then I'll speak to you about Haru myself" Abigail said through the door. Abigail heard a groan coming from the other side. She smiled when she heard nothing else. As she walked away from the bedroom and down the hall to the kitchen, Abigail heard Muta and Toto arguing.

"She's fine!"

"I don't know. Chicky looked really pale."

"She'll be okay. Just wait and see. We'll ask Abigail when she's done."

"…"

Abigail decided that Baron and Haru needed rest and not the disturbance of a fight. She should intervene before any trouble starts. She stepped into the room.

"Toto. Muta. I am finished with examining Haru. I only wish the doctor wasn't on vacation. I would have liked his opinion on the matter" Abigail sighed out as she sat down. The duo rushed over to the middle aged woman and knelt down in front of her. Toto gently grabbed one of Abigail's hands.

"How are Baron and her doing?" Toto asked. Abigail patted the raven haired man's pale hand.

"Baron is doing well. He's quite stubborn when it comes to Haru, but I got him to rest for a short while. I'd like you to watch him and make sure he doesn't go see Haru. She's trying to sleep" Abigail ordered.

"Of course…but what about Chicky? Is she better?" Muta said.

"I must admit that I've never seen a case as severe as her's. She hasn't been awake long enough to eat or drink anything. I'm hoping to take some medicine up to her later. Hopefully she's awake. But Haru's just…she's always been…I just don't want anyone to get their hopes up that she will recover. She's strong, but there has been no improvement since this morning" Abigail said as her eyes drifted over to the cooks. Their heads were hanging low. One of the cooks was making oatmeal to take up to Baron, and another was making some soup for Haru.

"We understand" Toto said distantly. Muta nodded in agreement. "Come on, Muta. We better make sure Baron isn't sneaking out of his room.

_The next day…_

"Alright Baron, you can go see Haru" Abigail said as she shook the thermometer. His temperature was back to normal. Baron smiled and jumped up off the bed. Sure he heard about Haru's condition, but he wasn't worried. He knew she'd be okay…she had to be. Baron opened his bedroom door and went into the hall. Baron's hand reached for the doorknob to Haru's bedroom, but he hesitated when a hand rested on his shoulder. He glanced over his shoulder to see Abigail.

"I don't want you in there for more than three hours" she said firmly. Baron nodded and watched Abigail disappear around the corner. His hand stayed on the doorknob, but he made no move to turn it. Finally gathering the courage, Baron twisted the polished brass and opened the door. He looked around the room. His eyes stopped on the figure on the bed. He gasped and rushed over to her. His eyes scanned her body up and down. Her skin was as white as paper and her lips were a very light pinkish purple. Her hair was clinging to her face, and it was drenched in sweat. Her brown eyes were dull and almost lifeless looking as they stared at him.

"Haru?" Baron choked out. A faint smile graced her features.

"Oh Baron! I'm glad you came. I'm sorry for you to see me like this. I'm so embarrassed. I don't know what happened. I never wanted to trouble you with my problems. We barely know each other! Mother will be worried sick about me" Haru murmured as her eyebrows knitted together in concentration. Her eyes widened slightly in fear. "Oh no, who will make her dinner?" Baron's heart dropped at Haru's words. Abigail, Toto, and Muta told him that Haru was delirious at times, but he never expected this. Shakily, Baron took Haru's closest hand in between his two. Despite her sweating, Haru's skin was cold.

"Do not worry about such a trivial thing. I already told one of the servants to visit your mother and watch over her tonight. She's in good hands" Baron forced out. Haru gave Baron a weak smile.

"Oh thank you, sir. I'm forever in your debt. I don't like debts, but what you have done is the most generous thing anyone has ever done for me. I hope I can repay you in some way! Say…what did you say your name was?"

"Baron. My name is Baron."

"Baron! Yes, I remember. How are you faring? Abigail said you weren't feeling well yesterday. We really should have used an umbrella. I was stupid for being so reckless" Haru said in a self-scolding. Out of nowhere, her head lobbed to the side and her eyes fluttered closed. "Oh, I'm sorry Baron. I'm getting kind of tired. Have you seen Humbert? I haven't seen him in a couple of weeks. Where does that silly cat of yours go?" Haru giggled as she fell asleep.

"Haru" Baron called out weakly. He got no response. Baron quietly and softly kissed Haru's forehead. He almost gasped at the feeling of his lips against her skin. Her hand was freezing cold, so how was her forehead so hot?! "Get well soon and sweet dreams, my love."

A few hours after visiting Haru then leaving, Baron decided to go check up on her again. He wanted to see if she, by chance, was awake and aware of what was going on around her. He didn't think to knock on her door; he just let himself in. To his dismay, Haru was sound asleep. He slouched his shoulders in defeat but pulled up a chair next to Haru's bed anyway. He grabbed her hand and held it. Haru moaned and turned her body abruptly towards him, dislodging the cool cloth on her head in the process. Baron smiled at the scene before him. Like the concerned suitor he was, he re-wetted the cloth and tilted her head slightly to place the cloth back in its original position. To Baron's surprise, Haru's eyes fluttered open upon the immediate contact of the wet rag and her forehead.

"Baron?" she said weakly. Baron nodded and smiled.

"Are you feeling better? Do you want a sip of water?" Baron asked quickly. Haru's eyes slightly sparkled at the mention of water. Her throat was parched. She was sort of hungry but not really.

"Yes, please" she said hoarsely. Baron helped Haru sit up a little bit with her back against the propped up pillows. He gingerly held the glass of cold water that sat on her night stand to her lips. Haru eagerly gulped down the liquid. Baron yanked the glass away, and Haru whimpered.

"I'm sorry, Haru. You need to drink slower or you'll get a stomach ache. Just try small sips" Baron said tenderly. Haru's face flushed a deeper red than it was before. Baron raised the glass to Haru's lips once again, but this time she took small sips. When Baron deemed that Haru drank enough water for the moment, he pulled the glass away and put it back where it was sitting earlier.

"Baron?" Haru said as her clammy fingers played with Baron's as he held her hand.

"Yes, love?" Baron said as he ran a finger down Haru's cheek in a loving manner.

"I've been thinking about your curse" Haru said. "I mean, I've been dreaming about it."

"What were your dreams about?"

"I'm not exactly sure. I kept seeing you, Lune, and an unusual green glow. I think I need to talk to Lune about your curse, if that's alright with you?"

"Of course it's alright. You can do anything that you think will help unlock the secrets of where the long lost Von Gikkingen relic went!" Baron said determinedly. "I just want you to rest first. Once you're all better, you can start looking for any clues." Haru flashed Baron a weak smile, but it faded away as quickly as it came. "Haru, what's wrong?"

"Oh, ah, nothing!" Haru said as she turned over to face away from Baron. She snatched her hand away from him like his touch was poison. Haru didn't miss Baron's hurt expression as she scooted away from the side of the bed he was on.

"Haru?" Baron said in a deep warning tone. Haru flinched.

"It's nothing, I swear!"

"Please Haru, I want to help" Baron said. He made sure to show how hurt her actions made him. Haru looked at Baron guiltily, but her cheeks were still deeply flushed. Was she blushing?

"I-I-I just needed to u-use the bathroom" Haru said meekly. Baron's face turned red.

"I-I'll go get someone to assist you" Baron declared. His voice squeaked as he said it.

"B-But I don't think I can wait!" Haru blurted out. A hand flew to her mouth as she gasped. Baron turned his head and averted his eyes at her implication.

"I understand" Baron said in a flustered manner. He stood up from his chair and pulled the sheets covering Haru from the bed. She was wearing one of the long normal nightgowns he got her, but it was heavily drenched in sweat. Haru looked down as her folded hands shamefully. He must think she looked disgusting. She blinked as her eyes grew heavy. She yawned, and to her surprise, Baron ignored her damp clothes and picked Haru up. He carefully carried her to the bathroom where he set her down on the toilet seat. "Can you manage from here?" he said nervously. Haru nodded. Baron left the bathroom and shut the door behind him. He stood at the door for a minute or two until he heard a yelp. "Haru! Are you alright?"

"I'm fine" Haru's weak voice called out. He heard the toilet flush and knew it was safe to go back in. Haru was back in the position he put her in. Baron picked her up again bridal style and began carrying her to the bed. "Baron?"

"Yes?"

"Can I ask you a favor?"

"Anything."

"I'm really tired, and I want to go to sleep but this nightgown is so gross and hot. Can you help me change into a fresh one? Maybe one of the silk ones?" Haru said weakly. She was beginning to nod off in his arms.

"Haru, it just isn't proper!"

"I don't care. I won't tell if you don't tell" she murmured against his arm. Baron sighed. There was no use in arguing in a fight he wouldn't win. Besides, even if he waited for her to fall asleep and not change her nightgown, it would still be wrong. She could get worse by staying in that outfit. Baron gently set Haru down on the edge of the bed. He began to unbutton the buttons on the front while keeping his eyes trained on anything but Haru. He slipped the fabric off her shoulders and body and threw it on the floor. Haru sighed out in content. Baron stood up and walked over to Haru's dresser. Inside the top drawer, Baron found all her nightgowns. He picked up the first nightgown on the top that was silk. It was white and had small bow that went around the waist. However, this silk nightgown was different than her normal ones. It was an opaque white so it wasn't see through and it was long enough to reach Haru's knees. Baron looked at it respectfully then grabbed one of the slips Haru kept in the right side of the drawer for safety precautions.

"Here. Lift your arms up so I can put this slip on" Baron said as he went back to Haru. His eyes were trained on the canopy above the bed. Haru shook her head 'no' before falling back against the covers and curing up in a ball.

"I'm tired and hot. I don't want a slip" Haru said. "I want to go to sleep."

"Please do it for me, Haru" Baron begged. Haru grumbled something and shook her head 'no' again. He knew she wouldn't let herself go to sleep until she won the argument.

"Fine. Just sit up and hold your arms up so I can put your nightgown on." Haru complied and lifted her arms. Baron knew he had to look down at Haru to make sure her arms went in the arm holes, but it was so improper that his body didn't want to react. He was raised to be a gentleman!

"Baron" Haru whined in sleep deprivation. Baron gathered up his courage and looked down at Haru, who was in her undergarments. He blushed and began to lower the nightgown over Haru's head.

At the same moment, the door opened and a surprised maid walked in. She saw the intimate sight before her and squeaked in surprise. She bolted out of the room as fast as she could. "Bloody hell!" Baron yelled as he yanked the nightgown down over Haru's head and onto her body. Haru yelped in surprise and fell back onto the bed. Baron headed for the door and threw it open. He was going to tell that maid what was really going on. He didn't want gossip flying around the mansion saying he was taking advantage of a sick Haru.

"Baron?" Haru said softly as she slowly crawled back under the sheets and snuggled into the pillow. Baron looked over his shoulder at Haru. She smiled at him as her eyes drifted closed.

"Thank you. I love you" she said before falling asleep. The corners of Baron's mouth twitched up into a smile.

"I love you too" he said before closing the door and rushing down the hallway.

_Three days later…_

"Abigail, how is Haru holding up?" Baron asked as she exited Haru's room. Abigail sighed.

"She's still the same. There has been no improvement. I'm afraid we were just having a conversation about your study and how it was painted pink" Abigail said.

"Pink? My office is painted green" Baron said with a frown.

"Exactly. I'm afraid she is still delirious."

"Do you think she's getting any better?"

"I'm afraid not. I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault. I shouldn't have let Haru run out in the rain like that the other night. Now she's dying…because of me."

"No Baron, it's not your fault!"

"But it is. The medicine isn't helping. She hasn't eaten for two days. She wouldn't even drink anything yesterday no matter how hard I tried to tell her it would make her better!" Suddenly, Baron's head jerked to the side as Abigail slapped him. His cheek began turning red immediately.

"Calm down!"

"I'm sorry, Abigail. I didn't mean to lose my cool. I'm just a little shaken up. I want Haru to get better, and when she does, I want to marry her. But…she is not getting better. She is getting worse and worse each day" Baron said as a few tears trailed down his cheek. "I don't want to lose her."

"Oh Baron, you won't lose her. She isn't going anywhere. She may not have the strongest body from her malnutrition in her early years, but she's still a fighter" Abigail said in reassurance.

"Thank you for trying to make me feel better. Can I go see Haru now?" Baron said eagerly.

"Sure, but I must warn you that she might be sleeping. Try not to wake her" Abigail said. "I'll be in my room if you need anything. One of the maids will be bringing up some broth too, later. We want her to eat something."

"Okay. Thank you" Baron said as he slipped past Abigail. He opened the door to Haru's room and went over to the chair beside her bed.

"Haru, are you still awake?"

"Mmmm" Haru hummed out as she opened her eyes slowly. She blinked as the light hit her eyes, even though the sun was setting so the room was dimly light.

"How do you feel?"

"Tired."

"Oh I'm sorry, love. I didn't mean to disturb you. Do you want me to leave?"

"Uh uh. Stay" Haru commanded as she turned on her side. She closed her eyes once her hand found Baron's. Shortly after, her face scrunched up and she sneezed. Baron chuckled.

"Sleep" he ordered softly like his demand would be met immediately if he said it. Haru moaned and gripped Baron's hand tighter. Her breathing slowly evened out as she drifted to sleep.

Two hours later, Baron was getting a bath and getting ready for bed. He was tired and wanted to sleep. The week was turning out to be long and not promising. Rest would be good for him.

"It broke! It broke!" a voice shouted excitedly. Baron raised an eyebrow in question. What broke? He decided it wasn't a big deal and shifted his shoulders as he tried to relax in the warm bath water.

Unexpectedly, the door to his bathroom flew open and hit the wall. Baron shrunk himself down in the water as he saw Abigail approaching him with a smile on her face. "Um, Abigail, as much as I enjoy your company, I would rather like to finish my bath alone. If you would like to speak to me, then I would rather have it done so when I am decent" Baron said lowly. Abigail rolled her eyes.

"Baron, we all know I have seen you indecent before. But if you don't want to know how Haru is doing then I will be on my way" she said in a sarcastic tone. Baron sighed. He was annoyed, but admittedly, he was a little curious to what the nurse was getting at.

"How is Haru?"

"Oh she is just splendid. I went in her room to check on her a few moments ago and although she didn't eat anything, her fever has broken. She's slowly getting better!" Abigail chirped. Baron opened his mouth in shock.

"Really?"

"Oh yes, dear" Abigail stated. Baron was too excited to think about anything else. He grabbed the plug and yanked the chain to drain the tub of water. He stood up and grabbed his grey robe, tying the sash into a knot.

"I'm going to see her right away" he announced. He quickly grabbed a white towel and began to dry his hair as he left the bathroom to go to his bedroom and pick out some pajamas before seeing Haru.

"Oh no Baron, you can't go see her. This is a crucial time. She definitely cannot be disturbed now. She's sleeping and needs the rest she's getting now more than anything" Abigail stated. Baron stopped drying his hair to look at Abigail sadly. Abigail could see the disappointment on his face as plain as day. "I'm sorry. I know how much you want to see her, but it will have to wait until tomorrow."

"I understand" Baron said dejectedly. He slowly went over to his dresser and pulled out a pair of blue pajamas. "You may go to bed now if you wish." Abigail nodded and left the room. Baron began dressing in his pajamas, but as he began putting on his shirt he hesitated. He was already getting warm. He didn't want the shirt making him even hotter. Baron decided to go against the proper thing to do and leave his shirt off. Haru never did things the proper way, so why should he? That decision left Baron in only his white boxer shorts and blue pajama pants. Baron felt comfortable and free.

It wasn't long after Baron settled in his bed and got comfortable and almost fell asleep when he heard his door creak open. Baron tensed up. He stayed where he was without moving until he felt someone crawl into his bed. They shimmed under the sheets and scooted over to Baron, whose back was facing the intruder. The next thing Baron knew, small, cold, clammy hands pressed against his back. The hands were followed by a warm forehead resting against his back too. Baron knew who the person was immediately.

"Haru?" Baron felt Haru's body stiffen.

"Baron, I didn't know you were awake" Haru said sheepishly. Baron smiled. He turned his body over so he could see the teenage brunette better. She was looking up at him with her warm brown eyes.

"What are you doing in my room let alone my bed?" Baron said teasingly. Haru blushed.

"I couldn't sleep." Baron chuckled at the statement.

"Haru, you've been sleeping easily for a majority of the week with no problem. What changed?"

"I am not sure. Maybe it is the fact that I have been sleeping so much that I'm not tired anymore" Haru said with a glare.

"That's reasonable. You can stay if you want as long as you stay on your side of the bed" Baron said in sudden embarrassment. He was embarrassed by the fact that the night he decided not to wear a night shirt was also the night Haru had to sneak into his room. Haru smiled at him and moved slightly away from Baron. Baron rolled over so his back was facing Haru.

"Goodnight, Baron."

"Sweet dreams, Haru."

Baron quickly fell asleep from his previous exhaustion. Haru just stared at his back. A good half hour later, Haru was still awake. She was about to get up and leave to go back to her room and find something to do, but Baron abruptly flipped over and his arm wrapped around Haru's waist. The frightened girl squeaked in surprise. Baron, in his sleep induced state, unknowingly pulled Haru closer to him. Haru wanted to struggle but couldn't. She saw the dark circles under Baron's eyes, and she knew he was stressed out. He needed his rest just as much as she did. After a while with Baron's arm around her, she decided it wasn't too bad. It was actually quite comfortable. With a yawn escaping past her lips, Haru snuggled up against Baron and leaned her head on his bare chest. A low rumbling came from Baron's throat as he began to purr. Haru let out a silent giggle. It wasn't long before she fell asleep too.

* * *

**A/N: I hope it was mostly fluff like I promised and I didn't make a lot of people upset or worried. I'm not good at writing that purely cute romantic stuff but I want to learn…at least I don't think I am (even though all my stories are romance I think but maybe one.) Please tell what you think in a review.**


	15. Errands

Sunlight streamed through the window and into Baron's room, hitting Baron's face in the process. Baron squeezed his eyes tight at the bothersome rays. When that didn't help, Baron decided he might was well get out of bed. He opened his eyes to the new day to see a lovely sight. Haru was snuggled up against his body. How had he not noticed before? Her hair was hanging slightly in her face. Baron gently removed the arm that was around Haru's waist to brush the strands off her face. Her pale skin glowed in the sunlight. Baron couldn't help but blush. Haru looked beautiful and here they were in the most improper of positions!

"Baron?" a voice called out. Baron tensed up at the call. It was Abigail! She probably went to check in on Haru and found her missing. Oh, what was he going to do? She might come in his room to ask him if he saw her. He couldn't respond back. If he did, then she would come in for sure. Maybe he could not say anything and hope that she still thought him asleep. Besides, if he answered her, then he would wake Haru. That was it. He would say nothing.

After a few long agonizing seconds, Baron heard Abigail walk away from his door. Baron let out a breath he didn't know he was holding. As relief washed over him, Baron looked back down at Haru. She definitely looked much better then yesterday. He'd let her rest a little longer before waking her up.

Half an hour passed, and Baron made the decision that it was time to get up and start the day. Baron already had so many errands to do and he hadn't even started them. He had to get them done by the end of the day too. Baron furrowed his eyebrows in aggravation. He banished the raging thoughts from his mind. He glanced down at Haru and kissed her forehead. "Haru? It's time to wake up, love." She made no indication of hearing him. Baron sighed and gently shook her shoulder. "Haru?"

"Huh, what?" Haru said sleepily as she yawned. She opened her eyes and looked up at Baron. She smiled and leaned up to kiss him. Baron made no move to stop her.

"Good morning. How are you feeling?" Baron asked with a grin. He could get use to waking up like this every day.

"Better. Much better" Haru replied with a smile of her own.

"Are you hungry? I know you haven't eaten for the past few days. You should really try something." Haru opened her mouth to answer his question, but her stomach growling answered for her. She blushed and buried her face in his chest. Baron let out a whole-hearted laugh. Haru mumbled something against his chest. "Stay here. I'll go get us some breakfast."

"Fine" Haru grumbled. She was still embarrassed. Baron kissed her forehead one more time before standing up. He quickly pulled on the blue nightshirt he discarded the night before then put on a robe. He slipped on some slippers and was out the door. Haru watched him leave. She felt suspicious of his behavior. He seemed worried but undeniably happy at the same time. He was planning something.

It wasn't long before Baron came back in the room carrying a tray of food. There were some scones, different types of fruits, eggs, and milk on the tray. It was the kind of tray with supports for breakfast in bed purposes. Baron smiled at Haru and kissed her on the cheek as he placed the tray on her legs.

Footsteps could be heard in the hallway. Baron looked at Haru with wide eyes. Baron looked around the room in a panic. His gaze settled on his hand. Baron slipped off his ring and turned into Humbert. He jumped up on the bed and snuggled against Haru's arm just as the bedroom door opened.

"Haru, there you are! I've been looking all over for you" Abigail said.

"Oh hello, Abigail. I didn't mean to cause you trouble. I've been in here for a little while" Haru replied as she ripped a small chunk out of the scone. She held it out in front of Baron's muzzle. He sniffed it then grabbed it with his teeth, gobbling it down. Haru soon followed after with her own bite out of the pastry.

"Oh, you're eating. Wonderful! Are feeling any better, dear?" Abigail said as she rushed over to Haru with a thermometer in hand. Haru instantly opened her mouth when she saw the medical instrument. Abigail placed it in her mouth and waited. Baron meowed up at Haru as he intensely stared at the raising mercury. Abigail just noticed Baron on the bed. "What a cute cat? Is it yours? I've only seen it once or twice." Baron cocked his head to the side at Abigail's statement. Abigail didn't know about the curse. Only the family doctor did.

"No, it's Baron's cat" Haru said around the thermometer. The mercury stopped rising and Abigail removed the little glass tube. She inspected it closely.

"It looks like your fever isn't back. One or two more days of bed rest and you'll be good as new. I really need to find Baron to speak with him. Did you see him, by any chance, when you came in his room?"

"No, ma'am. The maids wanted to change my soiled bed sheets and told me to come in here while they changed them" Haru said smoothly. Baron purred at Haru's lie. He didn't like lying, but it was better than Abigail knowing the truth and scolding them for behaving inappropriately.

"I see" Abigail said. Her tone of voice said she wasn't buying what Haru said, but she was willing to let it slide. "Get some rest. I'm sure Baron would love for you to get better, so he can spend the day with you."

"Of course" Haru said cheerfully. Abigail left the room without saying another word. Haru ate some pieces of fruit in silence. She feed Baron a piece of scone once in a while. She also let him lap at the milk occasionally too.

"Haru?" Baron mewled.

"What is it, Baron?"

"I'm going to get dressed then head out. I have some things to do today, and I should really get them started. Is it okay for me to see you after dinner?" Haru's face saddened at hearing Baron say he was going out, but she smiled nonetheless.

"It's alright. I'll just catch up on some sewing. I'm sure when I go back to the orphanage, the kids will be wondering where I was at and if I brought them anything." Baron nodded and butted his head against Haru's hand one last time. Haru scratched behind Baron's ears before he jumped off the bed. He transformed into a half-cat then picked up the ring that fell on the ground when he transformed. He slipped it on, changing back into a human. Baron picked out his outfit for the day then went into the bathroom. Haru ate as much off her breakfast tray as she could before growing tired and drifting off to sleep once again.

Baron finished getting changed and poked his head out of the bathroom. Haru was curled up on the bed. The breakfast tray was on floor. Baron smiled at the sight. He gently went over to Haru and pulled the sheets up over Haru's body. He kissed her on the temple then grabbed his top hat and cane, leaving the room afterwards. He walked down the halls then down the stairs that led to the second floor. He took a left and went to the end of the hall where only one door presided. Baron opened the door and entered his study. Muta was sitting in Baron's desk chair while Toto stood over him. They were arguing over something that a paper said.

"Toto! Muta!" Baron snapped. They both froze and looked at Baron.

"It's time" Baron said as he turned around and walked back out the door. Toto and Muta glanced at each other with a knowing look. They smirked and followed Baron out the door.

"When are you…you know…?" Toto said slowly as his eyes flickered back and forth, scanning the empty halls for any sign of servants.

"Tomorrow" Baron said simply. He picked up his pace once he was out of the mansion.

"Where do you want to go first?" Toto asked his friend.

"The orphanage" Baron answered.

"The orphanage? What are we going there for?" Muta questioned.

"I need to talk to the kids" Baron said.

"Oh?"

"Let's just get this done. We still have other places to go today" Baron said as they neared the Von Gikkingen Orphanage. Muta and Toto stayed quiet and trailed Baron into the building. They stayed by the door as Baron went over to the one female worker working at the desk in the back. The two began talking animatedly. Finally, a smile came over Baron's face. The lady shouted for the kids, and they came running into the room. Baron smiled and crouched down to get eye level with the majority of them. He began talking again to them. Huge grins broke out in the group. The girls were cooing, squealing, and giggling in excitement. The boys were blushing and looking uncomfortable. Baron finished his talk and stood up. He tipped his top hat at the children then walked out the door. Toto and Muta slipped into step beside him.

"What was that all about?" Muta said. Baron just smirked and continued walking.

"Can you at least tell us where we're going next?" Toto said in annoyance.

"We're going to Haru's old house!" Baron said happily.

"What?!

"I want to talk to Haru's mother."

"Her mother?" Muta asked.

"Oh! To ask for her blessing, right?" Toto guessed.

"Not exactly. Haru doesn't have any living relatives to ask their blessing for. I was just going to tell her mother that I planned on marrying her daughter and how wonderful I think Haru is" Baron explained. Toto nodded his head in understanding.

"But how do you know where Chicky buried her mother?"

"She told me about where her house was located once. She said she didn't bury her mother far from it. I'm just hoping we'll stumble upon it" Baron said with a shrug.

"Great, we could be stumbling around for hours" Toto grumbled. Baron shot him a glare.

"I can go by myself. You don't have to come with me" Baron said, throwing an innocent look to his bodyguards.

"No!" Muta and Toto said firmly as they stepped towards Baron.

"We can't have you wondering off. You always get yourself into trouble. Whether it is from helping some stranger on the street _or_ picking up innocent girls like Haru!"

"Being my bodyguards is your choice. I don't technically need you watching me. I could just slip away…like this" Baron said with a knowing smirk. He stepped back from his friends. Toto and Muta turned around to see a man and woman walk past and block Baron from their view. As soon as the couple passed, Baron was gone.

"Oh! I am so going to get him for that" Toto fumed. "Hurry up and scan the alleyways. I'll scan the rooftops."

"Why do I always have to look in the alleys? If anyone should do it, then it should be you! You have dark hair, you're skinnier, and you're faster. You blend in with shadows more, birdbrain!"

"What?! You fat pig, why do always have to complain?! I'm Baron's first advisor, so I'm second in charge. I get to call the shots. Besides, you can't go scanning the rooftops. Every time you see one sign that says bakery or café, you just have to stop in for a snack!"

"I do not, chicken wings!"

"Do to, fatso!"

"Birdbrain!" Muta roared.

"You already called me that you, idiot!" Toto shouted as he tackled Muta to the ground. Muta rolled to the side, Toto wrapped in his arms. As Muta's weight shifted, Toto struggled to get free. Muta was lying on top of him by that point.

"Get off me! I can't breathe!" Toto wheezed.

"Serves you right" Muta said triumphantly. Muta started to stand up, thinking the fight was over. Toto tricked him, however. As soon as Muta was back on his feet, Toto jumped up and kicked the back of Muta's knees with his feet. Muta's legs buckled and he fell to his knees. Toto used that opportunity to lock Muta in a headlock. Muta swung his fist back, hitting Toto in the side of the head.

"OW!" Toto immediately released Muta to hold his throbbing ear. Muta spun around, but Toto used the hand not holding his ear to claw at Muta. His nails scratched Muta's cheek and lip. The skin split open from Toto's claw-like nails. Muta hissed as blood poured out of the wounds.

The fight continued for another few hours. Muta and Toto were oblivious to the time passing by and the group of onlookers gathering around the duo. Whispers filled the air around them.

"Isn't that Baron Von Gikkingen's bodyguards?"

"No, I thought they were his advisors."

"Why are they fighting?"

"Where's the baron?"

Toto and Muta continued pounding on each other. The fight was getting aggressively violent. Toto had black eye. Both of Muta's cheeks now adorned their own pair of scratches. Both men had split lips. Their clothes were torn and Toto was missing his right shoe. "Toto! Muta! What are you doing? Did you get into _another_ fight?" Baron growled. Both men froze in their fighting. Toto was lying on top of Muta with his fist aimed and in the air, ready to punch Muta in the face. Muta had Toto's waistcoat clenched in his fists. His knee was raised to Toto's stomach, ready to be driven in the slimmer male's gut. Upon seeing Baron, they jumped up and quickly dusted each other off like they were good friends helping each other out.

"It was Muta that started it" Toto said in accusation. He shot an icy glare at Muta.

"I wasn't my fault that birdbrain over here keeps ordering me around. He thinks he's all that since he's your first advisor" Muta mumbled.

"Toto, let Muta make his own decisions. Muta, listen to Toto when he tells you to do something" Baron said. "Now come on, we have one more place to go before we can head home. I already stopped at two more places on the way here. It's almost dinner time."

"What?! That's not fair" Muta said in disbelief. Toto smirked. One for Toto and zero for Muta!

Baron ignored Muta's whining and made his way through the crowd of people. He was tired and hungry and wanted to go home. He practically sprinted out of the West Gate and down the secret trail in the forest to get to Haru's old house when he ditched Toto and Muta. He was horrified when he got there to see the roof had caved in. It was a good thing Haru's mother told her not to stay there anymore. Haru's mother's grave was easy enough to locate. Baron explored the territory around the house to find a small path out back. He followed it to a small hill and on top of the hill was a large boulder. On the boulder, the words 'Naoko Yoshioka: Beloved mother and wife' were engraved sloppily but neatly at the same time. Baron was relieved to see the stone, and he feel to his knees. He poured his heart out to Naoko. He told her of his love for Haru, all the activities they did, and well, everything. After that, he saw it was getting dark. He went to find Muta and Toto fighting. They were bleeding all over the cobblestone!

"Is the last place the jeweler's?" Toto said quietly. He knew Baron was still mad at him, but he also knew Baron was glad they didn't find him. Baron was probably happy to have some alone time, even if it was in the woods…talking to a grave.

Baron nodded at the question. "It should be ready" he said softly. His cane clicked on the cobblestone as he walked.

"Ready? You mean you already picked out a ring?"

"Yes" Baron said. They trio made it to the jeweler's in record time. The bell rung as soon as the door opened, signaling their arrival.

"Ah, Humbert! How lovely to see you again!" the shop owner said as he polished a diamond. "Are you here to see the ring? I heard you were courting a young lady, but I've never seen her yet. I've heard wondrous things about her. I almost couldn't believe it when I got your order."

"Actually Mr. Crawford, I'm here to pick it up!" Baron said as he went over to the counter with a grin on his face.

"That's splendid news! When are you proposing to her?"

"Tomorrow."

"Ah, well, I hope you bring her by when you come to pick out the wedding bands!" Mr. Crawford said hopefully.

"Of course! Anything for a friend of the family's" Baron said as he twisted his ring on his finger. Mr. Crawford sent Baron a thankful smile and went into the backroom. Baron, Toto, and Muta waited silently in the shop. Mr. Crawford emerged holding a small green velvet box. He held it out for Baron.

"Take a look and tell me what you think! It took me a while to find the gems, but I think it came out beautifully. I'm sure the young woman you plan on marrying will love it."

"I hope so" Baron sighed out as he opened the small box. Inside the box was a gold band that had a greyish silver cat's eye gem in the middle with a white sheen. On each side of the gem was a small piece of jade. The ring was almost a replica of Baron's except that the band was thinner, had jade, and a different colored cat's eye gem. Baron picked out the cat's eye gem to match his ring then the jade to match Haru's cat hair comb. Toto and Muta peeked over Baron's shoulder to examine Baron's purchase.

"That's amazing, Baron" Toto gasped.

"I think Chicky will like it" Muta said in approval. "Although, when you get the wedding rings, then I suggest you pick something simple. I think she'll appreciate it."

"Indeed, she will" Baron said as he closed the box. He shoved a hand in his pocket and dug out some money. He handed the bills to Mr. Crawford.

"Thank you" Mr. Crawford said as he opened up the cash register and put the money in.

"I hope I'll see you again soon. Have a good day" Baron said with a tip of his hat.

"You too, Humbert. Toto, Muta, I hope I'll get to make your rings also when the time comes" Mr. Crawford added. Toto blushed while Muta just snorted in amusement. Toto, Muta, and Baron left the shop and headed home. Baron held the ring box in his hand and stared at it. This was it. This is what he has been waiting for. Baron gave the box one last look before pocketing the small object. His hand stayed in the pocket and gripped the box tightly in anticipation.

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**A/N: Nothing exciting about this chapter. It was just setting things up for the next chapter. I still want to hear your opinions about what relic you think the curse is tied to. I love hearing your opinions.**


	16. The Big Question

"Toto! Muta! What happened?!" Abigail cried out as the trio of friends entered the Von Gikkingen mansion.

"It was another one of their fights. This one just got a little out of hand" Baron said with a glare in Toto and Muta's direction. They winced at the cold gazes both the nurse and their longtime friend gave them.

"We'll just be going now" they said as they tried to slink away.

"Ah, ah, ah! You'll be coming with me" Abigail said as she grabbed both Toto and Muta's arms and dragged them away, no doubt to her room where she kept the medical supplies.

"I guess I'm off to my room before dinner" Baron mumbled. He began heading to his room. When he got inside his room, Baron went over to his desk. He slowly looked around. When he didn't see any maid or possible intruder hiding, Baron reached his hand under his desk and hit a small button. Baron opened the bottom left drawer to the desk and opened it up. A small hidden compartment was open. Baron carefully took the green velvet box out of his jacket's pocket and placed it inside the opening. He reached under the desk again and pressed the button once more. The top of the hidden compartment closed. Baron smiled in satisfaction and closed the drawer.

"Baron, it's time for dinner!"

"I'm on my way" Baron called out. He cast one more glance at his desk before exiting his bedroom.

At the dinner table, Baron kept throwing loving glances at the teenage brunette who was sitting to his right. In return, Haru kept staring at him with a suspicious gaze. She wanted to know what he was planning. It was written as clear as day on his face. As soon as dinner was finished, Baron helped Haru out of her seat. Haru nodded at him in thanks, and they were off to the parlor room. "Baron? What's going on?" Haru said warily as they sat down on the settee together.

"Well, I was planning on telling you tomorrow, but I was so excited today that I decided to tell you tonight! We're going to visit the orphanage tomorrow!" Baron said excitedly. Haru looked up at Baron is shock.

"Tomorrow? I thought I was supposed to be getting some rest?" Haru said. Her tone of voice gave away her anticipation.

"It is going to be fine. We are only going to go out for a few hours" Baron said as he patted Haru's hand. Haru sighed out in content. She rested her head against Baron's shoulder.

"I only have one quilt to take with me. I hope the kids aren't too anxious for them" Haru said a little ominously as she bit her lower lip in thought.

"Oh, I'm sure they won't even be thinking about it tomorrow" Baron said. A smile came to his lips at the thought of tomorrow.

"Baron? Oh Baron?!" Haru said as she snapped her fingers in front of the tawny haired man's face. Baron blinked in surprise.

"Huh?"

"I was asking you if you wanted any tea" Haru said as she raised the teapot up with her hands to emphasize what she was talking about earlier.

"Oh! Indeed! I would love some" Baron said as Haru rolled her eyes, a smile threatening to come onto her face. She poured two cups of Baron's special blend tea. Haru mixed some honey in his and milk in hers. She was deciding what he would get today!

"How do you know I didn't want milk?"

"Because I said you didn't" Haru said as she clinked the spoon that had the honey on it against the china to get the drips of tea off the silverware. Baron shook his head. He picked up his teacup and took a sip of the brown liquid. Ah, honey was a good choice today. Haru and Baron sat in comfortable silence as they drank their liquid refreshment. They each cast affectionate glances at each other. Their eyes sparkled in pure happiness and love.

Once Baron finished his tea, he stood up and stretched. "I'm sorry, love. I have to go file some paperwork before I prepare for bed. I wish I could spend some more time with you" Baron said miserably. Haru stood up and kissed his cheek.

"It's alright, Baron. I understand" she said. Baron bowed to Haru with a hand to his chest. His other hand swiftly grabbed Haru's left hand. Baron let his lips brush Haru's knuckles as he stared up at her intensely. Haru blushed at the gesture.

"Good night, Haru" Baron said, leaving the room after wishing her well for the night. Haru sighed. Goodness, what short notice! Hopefully one quilt would be enough.

_The next day…_

Haru woke in her own room, by herself, to her displeasure. Haru threw the covers off her body and went into the bathroom. She changed out of her regular long nightgown and into her original attire of riding pants, brown boots, blue jacket, and a blouse that was green. Haru brushed her hair repeatedly until it shone in the light. Lastly, Haru adjusted her hair comb into her hair so it looked nice and wouldn't fall out by accident. When she finished getting dressed for the day, Haru went downstairs for breakfast. Unfortunately, Baron never told Haru what time they were leaving, so Haru figured it would be best to carry on with her day normally until Baron came to fetch her.

Luckily for Haru, Baron didn't send for her until after lunch, so she got to make one more quilt for the kids although it was small. It would probably be given to one of the younger ones. However, Baron spent the whole morning in his room. He could be heard fumbling around in there since she awoken. Baron's unusual behavior raised Haru's suspicions that Baron was planning something today; she just didn't have a clue to what it could be that he was planning.

"Haru!" Toto sang out as he flung the door to her room open, forgetting his manners to knock before entering.

"I'm coming. Will you be joining Baron and me to the orphanage?" Haru asked as she opened up her wardrobe to pull out the two finished quilts from the bottom.

"Of course, Haru. We would never let Baron go anywhere on his own!"

"But I'll be with him!"

"Oh-ho-ho. You are just as bad as he is when he's alone. You'll run off into the night looking for strangers that need some form of help! We can't let that happen. You two are made for each other. You both are do-gooders that are easily side-tracked" Toto said as he sat down in the chair in Haru's room. Haru turned to face Toto. She raised an eyebrow at what he said.

"What did Baron do before I came along and before you started being his bodyguards?" Toto smirked at Haru's question.

"He always had one regular bodyguard with him before we took over. He would switch between them each day, but they were all the same. They still are" Toto grumbled. He looked up at Haru wickedly. "When he had his regular bodyguards, they let him get away with anything he wanted. He was the boss after all! Anyway, long story short, he would always stayed out late at night either picking up stray kids off the street and taking them to the orphanage or buying someone a nice hot meal. He was a maniac. Did you know that all the servants, maids, cooks, bodyguards, medical staff, you name it, are orphans? Except for Muta and I" Toto added. Haru shook her head.

"No, I didn't know that" Haru responded. Toto grinned.

"Yeah, each time he gets a new worker, he always hires them from one of the two Von Gikkingen Shelters in the city or the one in the next city over."

"That's so sweet!"

"Yeah, he's a real lady charmer. Now let me finish the story so we can leave. After Baron kept staying out too late, he began losing sleep and money. He never got paperwork done because he was never home. As Baron's advisors, Muta and I took it upon ourselves to start watching him and never let him do anything that wasn't of importance" Toto finished off.

"How very kind of you. You took away the chance that some poor person had at being helped" Haru said sarcastically although her tone was playful. Toto laughed.

"Don't worry. He still gets his way most of the time. He always gets away from us. If he didn't, well, then he would have never met you. I'm happy to know some good things come from him being a hero all the time" Toto said as he stood up. He held his hands out for Haru to give him the quilts. Haru handed them over and out the door they went. Baron was waiting with Muta by the front doors.

"Your carriage awaits, milady" Baron said dramatically with a gesture towards the door. Haru gasped.

"You did not get a carriage to go to the orphanage" Haru said in disbelief. Baron chuckled.

"Come now Haru, you know me better than that. I would never do such a thing on such a lovely day" Baron said with a grin. Haru couldn't help but smile.

"Good" she said and went out the door as Baron held it for her. Baron soon followed and wrapped his arm around her waist. Haru looked up at Baron's face in confusion. Baron was blushing. He never wrapped his arm around her waist. He always offered his arm to her. What was going on? Muta and Toto followed in the shadows like always, slinking in and out of alleyways and vanishing behind people or objects. How did they always do that?

A little over an hour later, the couple and their bodyguards made it to the orphanage. Baron and Haru were the first to enter the building. Toto and Muta followed behind them, but they stood near the door waiting. A female employee walked over to Toto and took the quilts from him before disappearing. To Haru's astonishment, not one child came into the main room to see who had entered the building like they always did.

"Where is everybody?" Haru said quietly. Baron grinned. He puckered his lips and blew out some air, creating a loud high pitched whistle. Haru's attention turned to Baron. A bunch of giggling could be heard coming from all directions. Suddenly, the room flooded with children who were all holding up a sign. The children lined up to make up a sentence. Haru studied the letters to decipher the individual words. The sign spelled out: Haru, will you marry me?

Haru gasped from her spot beside Baron. She turned to look at him. He was kneeling on the floor. When did he let go of her waist? Baron gulped at Haru's shocked stare. Her brown eyes searched his face.

"Haru, will you do me the honor of becoming my wife? I have loved you since I first saw you. I could never love another woman because it will always be you in my heart. You have the most beautiful soul, personality, and heart of gold I have ever seen in my life. I never want to spend a day without you." Baron said as he pulled out a velvet green box from his pocket. He lifted the lid to reveal a cat's eye ring with jade. Haru's hands immediately flew to her mouth. The room went silent. Haru studied the ring one more time. She examined the jade, and her hand reached up to touch her hair comb on its own.

"B-B-Baron!" Haru said in embarrassment. "I-I'm lost for words!" All the boys giggled. The girls sent them glares to shut them up. They were ruining the romantic moment. Baron's nervous smile began to turn into a frown.

"I did not mean to put pressure on you, love" Baron said softly. "I just wish that—"

"Oh Baron, just stop talking! I'll marry you" Haru said as she jumped on Baron and kissed him. Baron almost fell backwards, but he transferred the ring box into one hand and used the free one to wrap an arm around Haru's waist. He held her and kissed her deeply. A purr erupted from his throat. Haru pulled away to look at Baron in amusement. His emerald eyes shone in delight. Although, he grew a blush after the children surrounded the newly engaged couple and gave them a group hug. The girls giggled at Baron's purr and teasingly petted his head. To his embarrassment, the gestures made him purr louder at the wonderful feeling of being rubbed and petted. Haru started laughing at his discomfort.

"Haru" Baron growled threateningly. Haru ignored Baron's attitude and pulled him down for another kiss. Baron continued purring. Haru reached up and slid her fingertips from the bottom of his chin down to his chest. Baron shivered and pulled away. Haru smiled innocently and held her left hand out. Baron gently grabbed it and slid the ring onto her finger. Behind them, Toto and Muta were smiling uncontrollably.

"We knew you'd marry Mr. Von Gikkingen" a small boy said proudly.

"Now you'll be Mrs. Von Gikkingen" a teenage girl said.

"That means you'll own the orphanage too!"

"And the shelters!"

"That all depends on if Baron gives me partial ownership" Haru said, addressing the kids. Haru looked over at Baron. He shrugged.

"He better give you some rights to it!" a young girl, who probably didn't understand what they were talking about, said.

"Oh, I will" Baron said as he grabbed Haru's left hand and held it. His thumb traced circles in her skin, and his other fingers played with her engagement ring. "I want to make sure she has something to take care of if something ever happens to me. If it ever happens, she'll get to take care of the orphanage and all of you!"

"Yeah!" everyone cheered. Haru smiled.

"Now that we're engaged, I don't want you to pay me anymore for making quilts" Haru said out of the blue. Baron looked at her in question.

"When we get married, your money will be my money and my money will be your money" Haru said simply.

"Anything for you" Baron said.

"You have to stop saying that" Haru laughed as she laid her head against his shoulder. She watched the children run around and play. Some of the boys were bashfully talking to a girl while some of the girls chatted about the engagement.

"I'm afraid I can't do that" Baron said with a smile. Haru shook her head. Today would forever be implanted in her memory.

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**A/N: Review, please!**


	17. Turmoil

"Congratulations!" the whole Von Gikkingen staff shouted as the newly engaged couple entered the mansion along with Toto and Muta trailing behind. Haru and Baron stopped and smiled. They waited as the staff congratulated them individually with a hug or shake of the hand. Once everyone spoke to them, Baron led Haru up to his room.

"Haru, we have so much to talk about," Baron said as he pulled Haru into his room and closed door, "but I actually wanted to talk to you about tomorrow first."

"Tomorrow?"

"Yes. I'm afraid I won't be here tomorrow" Baron said sadly.

"Why?" Haru said. Her eyes were wide and full of worry.

"I have some business to attend to. I'm going to try to get in contact with the Cat Kingdom so that you can talk to Lune. I wanted to let you know, so that you aren't worried when Toto and Muta burst into the room and tell you that they can't find me. I should be back by the morning of the day after tomorrow.

"You're not going to tell them where you're going?" Haru asked.

"No. You know they don't let me go anywhere on my own. I have no idea why they don't trust me" Baron said as he grabbed Haru's hand and led her to the bed. They both sat down on the edge.

"Well I heard quite the story about you yesterday. I heard you used to be quite the vigilante" Haru teased. Baron blushed.

"I wouldn't call myself a vigilante. I was just doing the right thing" Baron said in embarrassment.

"I know. It's magnificent. I'll keep your secret. Please, be careful though" Haru said as she gently gripped the sleeve of Baron's jacket.

"I promise I will" Baron said.

"You better" Haru muttered. "Now, let's talk about the wedding!" Baron chuckled.

"Planning the wedding already, my dear?"

"You wanted to talk about it too! That's what you meant when you said we had a lot to talk about" Haru said in defense.

"Indeed, I did" Baron said. "How about we pick a date first?"

"Hmmm…how about next month?" Haru suggested.

"Next month? You're quite anxious to get married to me, aren't you?"

"Baron!" Haru laughed as she playfully slapped his arm. "I think it is _you_ who is anxious to get married to _me_!"

"Alright! Alright! You got me. Next month it is then" Baron declared. Haru smiled.

_The next day…_

Haru was sitting in her room getting some rest like Abigail advised. Abigail told Haru that today was the last she had to take it easy. Tomorrow, she could spend her time however she wanted without having to worry. Haru was sewing a new handkerchief for Baron. Yesterday while they were at the orphanage, there was a girl that was around thirteen speaking with Baron and blushing around him like no tomorrow. Baron was kind enough to give her his handkerchief as a present. The girl ran off giggling afterwards. Now he needed a new one. Haru was making his new one a dark emerald green to match his eyes.

"Haru!"

"Bother" Haru grumbled as she set her work down in her lap. She had been waiting for this moment since she woke up.

"Haru!"

"I'm in my room" Haru said with a roll of her eyes. Loud footsteps were heard as they got closer to her bedroom. The door opened and Toto and Muta strode into the room.

"Where is he?" Toto growled.

"Where is who?" Haru asked innocently. She batted her eyelashes at the duo.

"You know exactly who we are talking about" Toto said angrily.

"No I don't" Haru said.

"Chicky, where is your fiancé?" Muta asked more calmly. His hand reached up to scratch at the bandages on his face. Apparently, Toto's scratches were deeper than they looked, and Muta had to get stiches in each one.

"I haven't seen him since last night" she said honestly. Haru glanced at her nightstand to where her gold pocket watch was propped up against a lamp. "It's still pretty early. How did you lose him so fast?"

"Forget that! He had to tell you something!" Toto said in aggravation. He didn't seem all that threatening though, especially with his black eye.

"He said that he was going to be busy today but that's about it" Haru said. She picked up her half-finished handkerchief and continued sewing gold thread along the edge. She wanted to put Baron's initials in the fabric. She knew he wouldn't like it, but she was going to write 'Baron HVG' in it anyway.

"Let's go, Toto. She obviously doesn't know anything" Muta said as he grabbed Toto's arm. Toto reluctantly followed.

Haru watched as they began walking back to the door. It wasn't until recently that she learned that Toto and Muta were actually cousins. It was funny seeing them hate each other one minute then be friends the next. She always wondered what they were like as children. Did they play with each other often? Not at all? Were they even really close as children? All Haru knew was that Toto moved in with Muta's family once his parents died when he was about ten years old. They lived under the same roof, but they had a strained relationship once they began living together. Muta's parents always paid a little more attention to Toto, most likely because they felt for him after facing tragedy. Muta and Toto constantly got into fights, enough to send them to the hospital a few times. Once they turned sixteen, they met Baron when Muta's family had to talk to Baron's about officially adopting Toto. Ever since then, Muta and Toto became Baron's closest friends. The cousins were forced to get along and that led to all three becoming like brothers. Once Baron's parents died from being attacked by robbers attacking their carriage, Baron took over the business at seventeen then asked Muta and Toto to become his advisors and second in command. It was a very heart wrenching story when she heard it. Haru even cried. Oh, how Toto and Muta could act so hot and cold still.

"I bet's she is just hiding him" Toto mumbled as he closed the door to Haru's room. Haru smiled to herself once the advisors left, but her smile soon turned to a frown. She lowered her head, creating a shadow over her face. A lone tear slid down Haru's fair skin. It dripped off her chin and onto her hand that was gripping the handkerchief tightly into a ball. Something didn't feel right.

_With Baron…_

Baron padded down the cobblestone street and past people's tromping feet. He took extra caution to make sure nobody stepped on him or his tail. His mouth was hanging slightly open as he tried to scent where some cats might be hanging around. He was finding no such luck to easily locating any felines. Baron shook his head and swiveled his ears around. He decided to go check out some alleys instead of wandering in the street where he could get harmed.

Baron spotted an alley up ahead and went up to it. He poked his head around the corner and saw that the coast was clear. He placed one paw in front of the other to make sure he didn't step on something sharp and cut his pads. "Hello?" Baron meowed. No response. Baron's ears flattened. He went through the alley until he reached the other end. He came out onto another street. Baron ran into the crowd of people and darted past them to the next alley. "Is anyone out there?"

"Yes?" a voice answered. A black cat came out of the shadows to stand in front of the tawny cat.

"Hello, I am Humbert" Baron introduced with a bow. The black cat stared at Baron with calculating eyes. He didn't say anything. Baron took a step back. "Uh, I was wondering if you could tell me how to get to the Cat Kingdom. It would be a tremendous help."

"I can" the black cat said. He sat down and curled his tail around his front paws. Baron unsheathed his claws and flexed them repeatedly.

"Could you take me there?" Baron said warily. The black cat nodded. He turned around and jumped up onto a crate behind him. He continued jumping up the stacked boxes of wood until he reached the wall at the end of the alley. He jumped on top of it. Baron followed him closely. The black cat turned around, his amber eyes bore into Baron's. His eyes flickered and searched Baron's face. He snorted then turned back around, jumping off the wall to land on the ground. Baron followed suit. They were now outside the city. Baron padded after the black cat all the way to the woods. They went deep into the woods before taking a break.

"It is dangerous out here. The Cat Kingdom is in the middle of the forest. We need to watch out for other animals" the black cat said gruffly. He began to give himself a quick wash with his tongue. Baron copied his actions. He didn't want the shifty cat to seem like there was something off about him. Suddenly, there was a snapping noise. It sounded like a branch snapping. Baron and the black cat snapped their heads in the direction that the noise came from. Baron's fur spiked up in fear. Two glowing eyes were staring at the felines.

"Stay calm" the black cat hissed. "Come on!" He darted to the left and jumped over a fallen tree. Baron ran after him. Behind him, he could hear the beginning of an animal taking chase. Baron glanced behind him to see a fox chasing him. Baron's fear heightened, giving him a burst of adrenaline. Baron speed picked up. He could feel the fox's hot breath on the back of his legs. Baron ran as best he could until he slipped on a rock. Baron's body twisted awkwardly as his tried to regain his balance. One of his front paws got caught under a tree root as he rolled on the ground, twisting it painfully. Baron yowled in pain. He rolled onto his back to see the fox standing above him with its teeth bared. Baron squeezed his eyes shut and swiped at the fox. The fox yelped as Baron's claws scratched its muzzle. Blood splattered the ground. Baron scrambled to his feet and limped after the black cat that was pretty far ahead by this point. His whole body was aching.

The fox shook its head and took off after Baron again. It jumped and tackled Baron to the ground. They rolled around until gravity stopped them from moving. Baron was pretty sure he was bleeding because his fur felt damp. The fox pinned him to the forest floor. It opened its mouth wide above Baron's throat. Baron panted as he closed his eyes and waited for his fate.

"Haru!" his mind screamed mentally.

_With Haru…_

The mattress groaned under Haru's weight as she shifted her position. She was curled up in a ball on her covers. Her body trembled as she cried. Her hands crumpled the recently finished handkerchief up. She opened her eyes to look at it. The whole square was green. There were gold vines with leaves bordering the edge. In the bottom right corner were Baron's initials. In the top left corner was a small heart with her initials beside it. Pounding was heard as the servants tried to open the door. They were yelling for her to let them in. Haru locked the door earlier to prevent them from disturbing her.

"Miss Haru, please open up!"

"Chicky!"

"Haru, what's wrong? I didn't mean to be so cruel earlier" Toto called out with worry lacing his voice.

Haru curled up even further. She rubbed the soft material of the handkerchief against her cheek. "Baron, where are you?" Haru sobbed.

She cried for another hour or so until no more tears would come. Haru frantically climbed off the bed. She shoved Baron's handkerchief into the pocket of her riding pants. Haru stumbled over to the vanity. She looked in the mirror. All she saw was her hair comb glittering in the light. Haru's lower lip trembled then she screamed. Haru swung her arm to the side and side-swiped all of her make up off the vanity. Bottles of perfume shattered on the floor and powder went up in the air in clouds. Haru went over to her dresser and pulled out all her nightgowns, not the silk ones though. She grabbed the gowns and tore them in two. Haru cried out in frustration as she flipped the chair. She threw the pillows off the bed and began ripping the feathers out of them. Fresh, new tears began pouring out of her red puffy eyes.

"HARU!" a voice bellowed.

Haru ignored the frantic call. She focused on destroying anything she could. All of a sudden, the door flew off its hinges and into the room. The two bodyguards that rammed the door down ran over to Haru and grabbed her arms. Haru screamed and kicked her feet. She struggled to get away. "Let go of me! Let go!"

"Haru, what's wrong?!" Abigail shouted as she placed her hands on Haru's shoulders.

"He-He-He's not okay! I don't know where he is! Something is w-w-wrong!" Haru cried. She swung her foot forward and kicked a nearby Muta in the shin. Muta grimaced.

"Who's not alright? Baron?" Toto asked desperately. Haru stopped wriggling around in the bodyguards' hold and fell limp. The bodyguards let her fall to her knees. Haru brought her hands to her face. She wept into her hands. Toto fell to his knees and wrapped his arms around Haru. He gently rocked her back and forth.

"It will be okay" he said softly. Haru turned and buried her face in Toto's chest.

"Baron!" Haru sniffled. What was happening to her? Or to him?

* * *

**A/N: Comments are much appreciated. Lune and Yuki in the next chapter! Any suggestions to the story you might want me to add?**


	18. Physical and Mental Pain

One week. It had been one week since Baron went missing. Haru didn't know what to do or how to feel. Baron told her what he was doing and where he was going, but he wasn't supposed to be gone this long.

Unfortunately for her and the rest of the staff, Haru was confined to her bedroom. After her panic attack a week ago, every time anyone left her alone, Haru would have a mental breakdown and start to break everything in sight. The servants were cautious when they moved Haru to Baron's bedroom temporarily until they cleared all furniture out of her room. The only thing left in there was her bed, which she was strapped to in restriction. Meals and clothes were brought to her regularly. Everyone visited when they had free time to try to keep her spirits up, but Haru knew. She could feel the pain Baron was in. He was definitely alive, that much she knew, but he was hurt. Something bad happened, and Haru felt useless. She missed Baron so much. She started crying again.

As Haru cried, a blue light filled the room. Haru looked up and gasped. A beautiful white cat with a pink ribbon tied around her neck came out of the portal. "Yuki!" Haru breathed out. Her happiness at seeing her old friend, however, faded away. Haru's brown eyes dulled at a memory.

"_I'm afraid, Miss Haru that by the time everything is settled, you will probably be an engaged woman to either Mr. York or Baron" Lune said_

Haru looked down at her left hand. Her ring looked beautiful and the same as ever, but it too seemed to have lost its cheerful sheen.

"Haru?" Yuki said in concern. Haru looked back up to the white cat. Yuki's eyes scanned the room in confusion. "What's going on?" Haru's lifeless eyes drifted to the window, the only source of lighting in the room.

"Nobody trusts me anymore. I don't blame them though. I don't even trust myself" Haru said distantly. She weakly yanked her wrist, pulling at the strap attached to the bed.

"Why?" Yuki asked.

"I keep breaking everything."

"Whatever for?"

"To ease the pain."

"Pain?"

"Of missing Baron" Haru said as she leaned her head back against her pillow.

"But Haru, that is why I am here! Baron is at the Cat Kingdom" Yuki said. Haru's eyes slowly drifted over to meet Yuki's. A spark of hope appeared in them.

"Baron? Is he okay?" Haru questioned. Yuki's ears flattened in sadness.

"I'm afraid not. He's been in our infirmary for a week now. It wasn't until yesterday that he woke up. He kept asking for you. Once he found out that he's been asleep for a week, he sent me to get you. He said that you'd be worried. I feel awful that I didn't think about telling you he was with us until yesterday. Lune and I were just so busy. He was trying to run the kingdom now that he's the king. His father passed away a short while ago, and I've been trying to set up the nursery" Yuki explained.

"Nursery?" Haru said as he eyes drifted to Yuki's stomach. Her belly did seem a bit swollen.

"Oh yes! Isn't it wonderful? Lune and I are so excited!" Yuki beamed. A faint smile graced Haru's features.

"I'm so happy for you" she said weakly. Yuki's happiness simmered at Haru's tone.

"Here, let me get you out of those restraints, so you can see Baron" Yuki said. The blue portal to the Cat Kingdom opened up again and a couple of large cats came out. They grabbed the straps with their teeth and pulled. The straps snapped a minute later. Haru rubbed her wrists. The large cats went back through the portal and Yuki got up and followed them. Haru didn't budge. Yuki looked back at Haru. "Aren't you coming?"

"Won't I turn into a cat?"

"Temporarily, as long as you don't stay past sunrise" Yuki stated.

"Okay" Haru said as she followed Yuki into the glowing light. Haru squinted her eyes at the brightness of the sun on the other side. Haru marveled at the wondrous sight. "It's beautiful."

"Yes. Now come with me" Yuki said as she went and stood beside Haru. Haru jumped back in surprise when she saw that Yuki was standing on her hind legs and was as tall as her. Did she shrink, or did Yuki grow?

Yuki gently grabbed Haru's hand and led her towards a palace. They walked through the gates and up to the front doors. A guard on each side opened the doors for their queen. Yuki kept moving as she guided Haru down different corridors until they were standing outside a door. "This is the infirmary" Yuki said. Haru nodded. Haru pushed on the door and went inside. Yuki stayed behind.

"Baron?" Haru called out softly. She didn't want to disturb anyone else if they were in the room.

"Haru?" a crackly voice responded. Tears pricked at Haru's eyes as she ran to the nearest white curtain. Surprisingly, there were no other patients at the moment so it was only Haru and Baron in the room. Haru flung open the curtain and flew to Baron's bedside.

"Baron!" Haru said as she sunk down to her knees. Baron's left front paw was wrapped up along with his throat, head, belly, and legs. Blood was crusted on the bandage around Baron's throat and belly.

"Haru, you're here" Baron said.

"Of course, silly" Haru sighed out. "What happened to you? I was so worried. I started having nightmares. I began to—" Haru choked out. She didn't want to tell him she was having mental breakdowns.

"I'm fine. I'm just a little scraped up" Baron said. Haru shook her head and grabbed Baron's paw. She ignored the fact that once she grabbed his paw, her hand began changing into a paw as well.

"You are such a liar" Haru said. "What happened?" Baron sighed.

"I went out to search for information on the Cat Kingdom, as you know, and I meet a guide that was going to take me there, but we ran into some trouble. We were walking through the forest when this fox came out of nowhere and started chasing us. I tripped and fell, so the fox caught up to me. I twisted my paw in the process" Baron said as he held up the wrapped up paw. "I scratched him and started to run again, but I was too slow from my limp. The fox tackled me to the ground. He bit into my throat, but not enough to kill me before a whole bunch of cats attacked the fox. Apparently, my guide ran to the Cat Kingdom in the time I fell behind and got some help. As soon as I was saved, they tried to help me up, but they found a branch puncturing my stomach. I didn't even feel it. I also had a concussion from hitting my head. I passed out from the concussion and woke up to find that a week had passed. I didn't mean to worry you" Baron said sorrowfully. Haru started crying.

"It's okay" she said as she climbed up onto Baron's bed and curled up to his side. Baron soothingly used his right paw to rub Haru's back. Haru's tail intertwined with his. It was good thing she had on a blue and white dress. Haru lifted her head up and rubbed her muzzle against his in happiness. Baron began to purr. He winced at the pain the purr cause in his throat, but he couldn't stop. Haru began to purr too at the sound of Baron's purr. It was Baron's turn to chuckle in amusement.

"You look exquisite" he breathed in her ear that twitched from his breath touching it. Haru looked up at Baron. She glanced around the room. She spotted a mirror on the other side of Baron's bed. Haru got up and went over to it. Her reflection showed a tan colored cat with dark brown head fur that was longer than the rest of her body. She didn't look too bad. As Haru inspected herself, the door to the infirmary opened. Yuki and Lune walked in along with a cat that looked like a doctor. He was fairly young.

"Lune!" Haru shouted as she ran over to her old friend and hugged him. Lune hugged the tan cat in return. The doctor cleared his throat uncomfortably. He wasn't familiar with people showing such intimate affection to the king like it was alright to do so.

"Haru, this is the doctor taking care of Baron" Yuki said. Haru shook the doctor's paw.

"A pleasure" Haru said. The doctor blushed. "So how is Baron doing? When can he come home?" The doctor shifted his feet uncomfortably. He wasn't good around pretty girls.

"Um, three days tops" the doctor said. Haru's face fell. The doctor's eyes widened. "But we might be able to let him go after tomorrow. I can show you what you need to do to take care of him, so you can take him home."

"That would be wonderful!" Haru chirped. The doctor smiled at the young cat's praise. The doctor gently placed a hand on the small of Haru's back and led her to the door. He quietly began to explain what Haru should do at home before she could take Baron home. Haru listened closely so she didn't miss a single detail.

"Baron, how are you and Haru doing? Are you and Mr. York still courting her?" Lune questioned the tawny cat. Baron's gaze was locked on Haru's figure.

"Um, we got engaged the day before you brought me here" Baron said a little distractedly.

"Oh no! No wonder she looked so sad when I went to get her" Yuki said. Baron frowned at Yuki's words.

"Congratulations Baron. I figured she would have picked you over Mr. York. Cats are great companions" Lune said with a light smile. He was trying to brighten the mood.

"Thank you, Lune" Baron said with a nod. Haru came back over to Baron with the doctor.

"I'll be back to check on you later, Humbert" The doctor said. He turned to Lune and deeply bowed. "My king," he said then looked at Yuki, "my queen." The doctor exited the room.

"He was nice" Haru complimented. Lune nodded. "He may be one of our younger doctors, but he is our best one."

"Haru, I'm so happy to hear that you and Baron will be getting married. When is the wedding?" Yuki said cheerfully. Haru looked at the floor shyly.

"It was supposed to be in three weeks, but it might depend on Baron's recovery and if we can get it all planned by then to see if it will still be then" Haru said bashfully.

"I'm sure everything will turn out fine" Lune said assuredly.

"Me too" Haru said. She turned to Lune. "Can I talk to you about something?" Lune nodded. He and Haru left the room speaking in whispers.

They didn't come back until two hours later. Upon Haru's return, she turned to Baron. "I better get going now. I'll be back tomorrow to get you" Haru said. She bent down and swiftly licked Baron's cheek. He stiffened. Even if you couldn't see it, he was most likely blushing. Haru left with Yuki, cooing at the white cat's stomach. Baron smiled in satisfaction and relief. Haru was okay, but why did it seem like something was off about her?

_The next day…_

"Yuki! I'm glad you're here. Could you get these restraints off again? Abigail didn't like it when she found them broken" Haru said.

"I feel terrible, Haru. I don't remember anyone in the staff ever doing anything so cruel" Yuki said. The large cats from the day before came out of the blue portal that appeared and broke her straps again. Haru rubbed her wrists one more time. She looked around her room with a smile. Yesterday, after she came back from the Cat Kingdom, Haru convinced the servants to move her furniture back into the room. She promised them that she wouldn't be able to break anything if she was still strapped to the bed.

All three cats and Haru went through the portal. It closed behind them. This time when they came out on the other side, they ended up in front of the infirmary door. Haru rushed into the room and hugged Baron. He groaned in response to the immediate pain. "Haru!" he hissed. The bandage around his head was gone, letting his ears free to move around. They were flattened. Haru pulled away.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry" she said remorsefully. Baron gave her a weak smile.

"It's alright" he said. His ears returned to their normal position.

"Are you ready to go home?"

"As ready as I'll ever be" Baron said.

"Okay. You just have to remember not to change into a human or half-cat. If you do, then you might re-open your wounds" Haru said. Baron nodded. "Do we have to wait for the doctor before we leave?"

"No. He said that it was alright for me to leave as soon as you got here" Baron said. Haru clasped her hands together in glee.

"Yuki's waiting outside. We better go now" Haru said. She grabbed Baron's uninjured hand and helped him sit up. Baron grunted, but he kept moving until his legs were off the bed. Haru wrapped an arm around Baron's waist and helped him stand up. Baron staggered at first, but he regained his balance. Haru placed one foot in front of the other and slowly led Baron out of the room. Yuki was waiting outside the door.

"Are you ready?" she asked.

"Yes, please" Haru said. Yuki waved her hand in the air and a blue portal opened up. Haru helped Baron through the glowing circle and into her room. Upon entering her room, Haru began to grow. She returned to her normal height with Baron in her arms. Haru smiled and went to the door. She opened it up and peeked into the hallway. The coast was clear. Haru carried Baron over to his room and laid him down on his bed.

"I'll be right back. I'm going to find Toto and Muta and tell them to come see you" Haru said as she slipped out of Baron's bedroom and down the hall.

It wasn't long before Haru came back to the room with a frantic Muta and Toto. "Baron!" they shouted. Baron meowed at them.

"He said hello" Haru said.

"Baron, Haru told us what happened!"

"Meow!"

"He said he's sorry for worrying you. He doesn't want anyone to make a big deal out of what happened. He just wants everything to go back to normal." Toto frowned.

"Don't you think you're not going to hear about this later" Toto said angrily before storming out of the room. Muta stared at the door as it slammed shut.

"Don't worry about birdbrain. He was really worried about you. He's just upset that you didn't tell us where you were going. We'll check on you later. For now, Haru's going to stay the night in your room, so she can take care of you" Muta announced before leaving the room. There was no doubt in either of the couple's minds that Muta and Toto were going to get into a fight over what happened and how Toto yelled at Baron.

"I don't blame Toto for being angry. I promised you I would be careful, and what do I do? I go and get myself injured" Baron scolded himself as he curled up on one of his pillows. Haru sat down on the bed. She gently lifted Baron's twisted front paw and pressed her thumb down on it, applying pressure.

"Does it hurt?"

"Yeah, quite a bit" Baron said.

"Okay. I'm going to get you some fresh bandages. Yours need changed" Haru said as she disappeared into Baron's bathroom. She came back out with a fresh white roll of bandages and rag. Haru went back over to Baron and carefully unwound the bandage around Baron's stomach. There was a small gash underneath, but it was almost healed shut. Haru used the wet cloth to wipe off the dried blood around the wound. After it was all clean, Haru redressed the wound and started with the next one. Once the slightly bloodied bandage was off, Haru gasped. There were two sets of bite marks on Baron's cream furred throat. Each hole had a blackish ring around it like the wound once got infected. Haru's eyes watered at the sight. She sniffled and wiped her nose with the back of her hand before cleaning those wounds too.

"Don't cry" Baron croaked. Haru weakly nodded. She applied fresh bandages to his throat and took the rag and roll of bandages back to where she got them from. When she came back into the room, Haru curled up on Baron's bed and pulled him towards her. She made sure she didn't touch his injuries.

"I love you, Baron" she said softly.

"I love you too, Haru. I'm sorry for leaving you." Haru snuggled closer to Baron's fur and breathed in his scent.

"Please don't leave me again."

"I won't" Baron promised as he began to purr.

* * *

**A/N: Exciting. Review! Sorry for the late at night update. I had a fever today and was sleeping all day. It's pretty bad.**


	19. PTSD

Baron's recovery went smoothly for the next three days. He, surprisingly, began to heal faster after coming home. The gash on his stomach finally closed and a faint scar was forming. The bite marks on his neck were still open but just barely. The doctor that worked for Lune visited earlier that day and told Baron he could turn back into a half-cat or human if he wanted to now. Baron took him up on the opportunity and transformed as soon as he got the okay. Once he turned into a half-cat then put the ring on and turned into a human, Haru ordered Baron to take off his shirt. She wanted to inspect his injuries while they were on flesh and not covered by fur. Baron was embarrassed about the whole ordeal, but he obliged to Haru's command anyway.

Haru's fingers skimmed across his stomach as she poked and prodded his bright pink scar. Baron's stomach muscles bunched and tightened at the contact. As soon as she finished inspecting his stomach wound, she went straight to his neck. The bandages surprisingly were still wrapped around his neck. Haru undid them and looked at the teeth marks. The blackish outlines were gone and the holes weren't as deep or wide. They shrunk. Haru's face beamed in happiness at the revelation. She deemed Baron worthy enough to have just a small piece of cotton cover the wounds now. The collar on his shirt would cover up the patches when the staff saw him again.

The staff was informed three days ago that Baron came home, but he was sick. Haru meet up with the Von Gikkingen doctor, Dr. Edgar who recently came back from vacation, and brought him up to date on what happened to Baron. Because Dr. Edgar knew Baron's secret, he made sure that nobody entered Baron's room except for Haru, Muta, and Toto. He just let the staff think that Baron was contagious in whatever sickness he supposedly had.

So now that Haru didn't need to take care of Baron anymore, and he was free to roam around again and do whatever it is he did, Haru no longer needed to stay in his room. She was dreading the day, but she knew it would come eventually. Tonight was the first night in three days that she would be alone. Even when she was confined to her bed, someone stayed in her room during the night. Haru was nervous and scared. She examined her room with wide eyes. She hurriedly got dressed into a nightgown and crawled under her covers. She took deep breaths to calm herself and fell asleep.

"_Mother?" Haru called out as she wandered through her house._

"_In here, Haru!" Naoko called out. Haru followed the voice. She entered the kitchen to see her mom standing by the stove cooking._

"_Mother!" Haru called out in relief. Naoko chuckled._

"_Why do you sound so relieved?" she asked as she focused her attention on the stew she was making._

"_I thought I lost you. I thought you left me…like father" Haru said as she stepped forward. Naoko spun around to look at Haru. Her face was pale and sunken in like she was facing death. Haru gasped and stepped back. Her mom stepped forward. Her foot hit the floor and began to turn to dust. A strange draft blew through the room and carried Naoko's body away as it dissipated in the wind. "MOTHER!" Haru screamed as she reached forward. However, as Haru stepped forward, she fell and landed on the ground. She groaned in pain. Haru looked up from her space on the ground to see that she was in an infinite black void. "Hello?" she called out._

"_Haru, how lovely to see you!" Baron's voice said. Haru turned around to see Baron standing behind her._

"_Baron, I'm so glad to see you. I don't know what is going on, and I'm scared."_

"_Don't be, my dear" he said. Haru tried to step towards him to hug him, but no matter how many steps she took, Baron kept getting further and further away._

"_No, wait!" she called out frantically. "Don't leave me like mother did!" Baron's shrinking figure just smiled. He kept getting further until Haru couldn't see him anymore. Haru fell to her knees and cried. Suddenly, she was falling and falling and falling. She screamed._

Haru bolted up from her spot on the bed screaming. "No! No! No!" she shouted. "Everyone I love always leaves!" Haru jumped off the bed and ran over to her vanity. She picked up the brush laying the desk and stared at it. She scrunched up her eyes as tears poured down her face. "Why?!" she yelled out before whipping the brush at the mirror. It shattered upon contact and glass flew everywhere. Haru walked over to the corner in the room where her boxes use to sit. Glass crunched under her bare feet. Haru ignored the pain. She sat down in the corner and drew her knees up to her chest. She slowly began rocking back and forth as she cried and screamed.

The door to Haru's bedroom flew open, and Baron stared at the broken mirror. His eyes trailed the path of blood until it led to Haru. He gasped and ran over to her. Baron gathered Haru up in his arms and held her. "Ssshh, calm down. Everything will be alright. You just had a nightmare" Baron whispered softly into Haru's ear. Haru latched onto Baron's night shirt and sobbed into his shoulder. Footsteps could be heard as Abigail, Dr. Edgar, Toto, Muta, two maids, a cook, and three servants came into the room.

"Oh dear, I was afraid this was going to happen" Abigail said as she raised a hand to her cheek. Baron looked up at her in confusion.

"What's going on?" he asked. All the staff members looked at Baron sadly.

"Well, you see…Chicky…she kind of freaked out when you didn't come home. She had a panic attack and started breaking everything in sight" Muta explained.

"We couldn't leave her in a room alone for one second without her crying and trying to destroy something, master" a maid added.

"We thought she was better since you came back, but now I'm not so sure" Toto said.

"Dr. Edgar and I have been speaking about this matter since you came back. I told him about how Haru's been acting, and we have come to a conclusion to what is wrong with her" Abigail said.

"Well, what is it?" Baron asked as he petted Haru's head. She was only sniffling now.

"We think she might have Post Traumatic Stress Disorder" Dr. Edgar concluded. "Before she started living here, Haru's mother passed away, causing her to live out on the streets. There is no doubt in my mind that she was treated badly. After you went missing, her mind probably couldn't handle the situation and get a hold of it. She must have snapped. Every time someone leaves, Haru is going to think something bad is going to follow. Her mind is mentally unstable. It can be pretty traumatizing to have two people you love taken from you in the course of less than a year."

"But will she be okay? Can she get better?" Baron asked as he held Haru closer. "She seemed fine for the past few days."

"I was most likely because you were with her and she could see you. She knew you were alright and that you didn't disappear. It was also probably from her busying herself with taking care of you" Dr. Edgar said. "She should be fine shortly, but it will take years for her to get better if ever."

"What should I do?"

"I suggest you move into the same room. You'll be getting married soon anyway, so it shouldn't matter. Hopefully staying in the same room as you at night will prevent these late night attacks. It seemed to work before, so it should work now" Abigail said. Baron blushed.

"It's so improper" Baron said in embarrassment.

"Don't be so modest. You've stayed in the same room plenty of times. Moving into the same room would have happened eventually. Besides, it shouldn't be awkward or anything" Toto said.

W-W-What?!" Baron stuttered. "I-I don't know w-what you're talking a-a-about!"

"You and Haru can't fool us" Toto said. "But if it bothers you so much, we can move a separate bed into your room if you want." Baron blushed and glanced down at the shaking brunette in his arms. He sighed.

"No, it's fine. I would like all of Haru's belongings taken to my room…now. You can move her wardrobe and dresser in there too. Dr. Edgar and Abigail, please attend to Haru's feet. I think she stepped on some glass" Baron said as he gently lifted Haru up in his arms. Haru curled up further to make herself seem smaller. Baron left the room and followed Dr. Edgar to his large examination/treatment room. The maids and servants scrambled to get everything rearranged by the time the couple came back.

Once they were in the medical room, Baron set Haru down on a small bed. She sat on the edge and looked around the room with a confused and scared expression. Baron sat down on a chair in the corner. Haru's fist crumpled the sheets. Her eyes grew wide when Abigail turned the lights on. Haru jumped and hopped off the bed. She ran over to Baron and wrapped her arms around him. Baron cringed when he saw the smeared blood, from Haru's feet, on the tiled floor. "Haru, you're okay. I'm not going anywhere. Please let the doctor look at your feet. I'll sit beside you" Baron said in console. His heart broke at the thought of Haru becoming mentally unstable because of him. It was his entire fault. Baron picked Haru up again and set her on the bed. He sat beside her and held her hand. He raised it to his lips and kissed it tenderly. A pretty blush appeared on Haru's tear stained face.

Dr. Edgar went over to Haru and kneeled down in front of her. He grasped one of Haru's feet in his hands and lifted it up to examine the damage. "Abigail, bring over some tweezers and a small empty basin. Oh, and a wet rag, a basin full of water, and some bandages too" Dr. Edgar instructed. Abigail nodded and hurriedly gathered up the supplies. She carried them over to Dr. Edgar with expertise as she balanced each item in her hands. Dr. Edgar went for the tweezers first. He began picking at Haru's feet with them and pulling out small shards of the mirror glass. He discarded each shard into the empty basin. After he finished getting all the glass out, he scrubbed Haru's feet clean from blood. The bandages were applied once the cuts were treated.

"Could you carry her back to your room, Baron? I don't want her walking on her feet for a day or two" Dr. Edgar stated. Baron nodded and picked his fiancée up. Haru's arms wrapped around Baron's neck, and her head leaned against his shoulder. They were silent the whole way back to the room. Thankfully, the servants and maids were speedy in their rearranging of the rooms. Baron's room now had his king sized bed, his desk, two wardrobes that were beside each other, a dresser on each wall so that they were opposite of each other, and that was it. Baron didn't mind the arrangement of the room, but he made a mental note to himself to get rid of Haru's furniture and replace it with something less gaudy looking. He knew she didn't like the furniture anyway.

Baron took one last look at the room and carried Haru to the bed. He set her down and pulled the covers up to her chin. Baron hesitantly got in the bed from the other side and slid in beside Haru. After what seemed like an eternity of dead silence, Haru spoke.

"I'm sorry" she said with fresh tears in her eyes. Baron's eyes widened. He urgently pulled Haru against him to try to calm her down.

"It's not your fault. I promise that I'm not upset" Baron said soothingly.

"No, it _is_ my fault. Ever since my father died, I haven't been the same."

"Whatever do you mean, my dear?"

"When I was little, I used to always go out into the city with father. It was a different city than this one. Anyway, mother wasn't with us at the time because she was going to go try and sell some quilts. While father and I were wondering the streets, this nobleman accused father of stealing his gold pocket watch. He was lying just to get father in trouble. We've had my family's pocket watch for at least one hundred years! So this man accused father of stealing and these officers dragged him away. I ran around the city trying to find mother, and when I found her and told her what happened, there was nothing we could do. A month passed and there was no sign of him. It wasn't until a little while later that I found his dead body in an alley. Those men took him away and left him to die" Haru cried as she gripped Baron's night shirt. The fabric was being soaked, but Baron didn't care. "Ever since that day, I have never taken stressful situations well, especially when people leave me or go missing" Baron rubbed Haru's back.

"It's okay. I will help you through the rough times. I promise I won't ever leave you again" Baron said as he wrapped his arms around Haru's body. Haru sniffled and buried her face in the crook of Baron's neck.

"Please don't."

"Never" Baron said as he sealed his promised with a kiss to the top of Haru's head.

* * *

**A/N: I'm sorry for what I did to Haru. It may seem OOC of her but I felt like she needed to have something wrong with her. Not all stories can have happy endings or be perfect. Please tell me what you think! And for the record, I don't care if you don't like her having problems. Most of my stories have people having depression, paranoia, and mental problems if you didn't notice. So this shouldn't come as a surprise.**


	20. Move Along

The sunlight shone down on Baron and Haru as they lay in bed. Haru opened her eyes and smiled at the new day. She sat up and stretched her arms in the air. Her fist rubbed her eyes as she yawned. Unfortunately, her eyes were still sore from crying the night before. Haru went to step on the floor when she spotted the bandages on her feet. It wouldn't hurt to just take a short walk to the bathroom would it? Haru shrugged. She didn't want to wake Baron. She'd be really quick.

Haru placed her feet firmly on the floor and stood up, putting her weight on the slices. Haru hissed at the pain. She didn't remember it hurting this bad last night. "Haru?" Baron's voice said. Haru looked over her shoulder innocently. Drat! She must have woken him up when she hissed.

"Yes?" she said as she took confident strides to the bathroom, hoping Baron didn't notice her wincing. If he did, he didn't say anything. He let her go to the bathroom and come back out by herself.

"Please ask me for help next time" Baron said as she came back in the room. Haru sighed. So he did notice.

"Baron, I can't have you carrying me everywhere. I told Lune I wanted to go to the Cat Kingdom today!"

"Then let me come with you!"

"But you have so much work to do. Did you not see that pile of paperwork on your desk that built up?"

"It can wait. Most of those papers are invitations to social events. I usually don't attend those unless it is for a close friend or beneficial to the company" Baron said stubbornly. Haru huffed out in aggravation. She planted her hands on her hips.

"Fine. You can come, but what are you going to do the whole time?" Haru questioned with a raised eyebrow. Baron frowned and put his hand to his chin. He began rubbing it in thought.

"Paperwork" he said weakly with a sheepish grin.

"Uh! I give up. Just bring your paperwork along" Haru said as she climbed back under the covers and turned her back to Baron.

"What will you be doing in the Cat Kingdom?"

"What I arranged to do with Lune on the first day I went there. Lune and I set up a schedule so that every other day, I would go to the Cat Kingdom to do some research on your curse. I'll be using the Cat Kingdom's library and historical records."

"Do you think you'll find anything?"

"I don't know, but we'll find out eventually" Haru said tiredly.

"Haru?" Baron said timidly.

"Yes, Baron?"

"Did you want the wedding to still be held in three weeks, or did you want to postpone it?" Haru rolled over to look at the anxious male. Haru smiled at his worried looking expression.

"I suppose we better get planning then, huh?" Haru said as she attempted to climb out bed and get ready. Baron beat her to the punch. He handed Haru her robe, and when she put it on, he lifted her up. He carried her to the dining hall for breakfast.

Several hours later, a blue portal opened up in Baron and Haru's room. Haru was just finishing up with a quilt when Lune entered the room. "Haru!"

"Lune! I've been waiting for you" Haru said.

"Well, I'm here so we can get going now" Lune said as he turned his body towards the portal. Haru frowned.

"I'm afraid Baron said that he wouldn't let me go today unless he came with me. You're going to have to fetch him and tell him you're here" Haru said. Lune looked at Haru questioningly. Not that he was acting like a spoiled cat or anything but why did _he_ have to go get Baron? Lune didn't protest though. He calmly walked out of the room and to Baron's study. It wasn't long before Lune and Baron entered the room. Baron was carrying a stack of papers. Haru rolled her eyes.

"Haru, can you hold these for me?" Baron asked as he held out the stack of papers to her. Haru nodded, and Baron transferred the papers to her. Haru shifted the papers so that Baron could pick her up without them being in the way. Haru could hear Lune gasp when he saw her feet as they came out from under the covers.

"Haru, what happened?" Lune said as he rubbed his body against Baron's legs. Haru ignored Lune's question and trained her gaze on the portal.

"We really should be going" she said stiffly. Baron gave Lune an apologetic smile.

"It's a sensitive topic. Maybe I'll tell you about it once we get to the Cat Kingdom" Baron said. Lune nodded. He led Baron and Haru into the portal, and they ended up in a grand library. Baron's library looked puny compared to Lune's. And to think that Baron's library was huge in the eyes of the other noblemen.

"Wow, this is amazing" Haru breathed. A huge smile lit up her face.

"Thank you" Lune said. He was smiling at the praise.

"Do you have any idea to which section I should start looking in?" Haru said as Baron slipped her into a chair at a table. Haru set his stack of papers down to get them out of her way. Baron took the seat opposite of his fiancée and started on the papers.

"I believe you should start in the section about cat magicians" Lune said thoughtfully. He looked over at Haru who was sitting in her seat and staring at something under the table. Lune realized she must be glaring at her feet. He chuckled.

"Let me get someone to help you with your research, oh, I know!" Lune quickly left the room through a pair of extravagant double doors. He came back with Yuki trailing behind him.

"Yuki can help you fetch what books you need. Besides, I'm afraid that not many of our books are in English. Most of it is in cat. Yuki will have to help you translate. She picked up on the language pretty quickly. Maybe she can help teach you it as you go along" Lune said. Yuki nodded her head in agreement.

"Just name the type of book you want and I'll find it for you. And the language of the cat is really fun to learn. They use hieroglyphics, and some of the symbols are funny in correlation to their word. It's too bad you already know how to speak cat, I thought it was fun learning how to pronounce everything" Yuki said excitedly. Haru grinned. At least all this research would help her learn another language. Suddenly, a thought came to Haru; she gave a pointed look to Baron. Baron was too engrossed in his work that he didn't notice.

"Baron?" Haru said softly. Baron looked up at Haru, who was already sporting a coat of light brown fur. Her ears flicked to the side every once and a while.

"Hmmm?"

"Can you read cat?" Baron cocked his head to the side at the unusual question.

"I don't believe I have ever tried. Let me have a look" Baron said as he looked around the room at the signs attached to the sides of the bookshelves. He squinted. "I can't do it. Let me try in my cat form." Baron pulled his ring off and turned into a half-cat. He looked back at the sign. "I believe that one says Royalty of the Cat Kingdom" Baron said. He looked over a Yuki. She smiled and clasped her paws together.

"That's right. It must be your cat genes" Yuki said. Baron looked back at Haru with a grin.

"I can teach you too, if you want while we're not at the Cat Kingdom" Baron said.

"I'd like that" Haru said.

"It's settled then" Baron confirmed.

"But for now," Haru began, "Yuki, could you get me a book on past cat magicians?"

"Yes" Yuki said. She scurried away to the other end of the library. She came back with about five books. She set them down in front of Haru then fetched a pen and piece of paper for Haru to write on. They got to work. Baron observed Haru as she shifted through books and whispered questions to Yuki who answered them enthusiastically. Haru scribbled down notes in the middle of talking, even if her writing was sort of sloppy from her not being use to writing with her paws. Baron looked back down at his paper and signed his name at the bottom. A smile came to his face. Maybe Haru would be the one to do what his ancestors couldn't.

_One week later…_

"Haru, are you ready to go to the jeweler's?" Baron said as he walked into the library, where Haru was going through some of Baron's old family records. Haru slammed a book shut and pushed it to the side of the table.

"Yes" Haru said as she went over to Baron and latched onto his arm. She pressed her body as close to his as possible. Dr. Edgar told him that she might have separation issues for a few years. It broke Baron's heart when she told him that she didn't mind being away from him, but he knew she was lying. She was just trying to be strong.

Baron led Haru out of the mansion and down the street to the jewelry store. Mr. Crawford was at the counter tinkering with a watch. "Mr. Crawford, I'm back" Baron stated. Mr. Crawford looked up from his work to see Baron and a girl around eighteen years old. She was beautiful with her shoulder length brown locks and warm brown eyes. Her skin had a healthy pink tint to it making her glow.

"Humbert, is this your fiancée? She's even lovelier than I imagined" Mr. Crawford said as he set the watch aside to speak to the couple.

"Indeed" Baron said as he put his hand on Haru's and gazed at her angelic face. Haru blushed at the compliments.

"You're all too much. I'm just an average person with average looks" Haru said as she waved a hand around to show her embarrassment.

"Nonsense" Mr. Crawford added. "Now, what is your name, my dear?"

"How rude of me to not introduce myself, my name is Haru Yoshioka" Haru said with a small curtsy.

"It is so nice to finally meet you. Humbert surprised me when he sent an order to me for an engagement ring, especially one as unique as yours" Mr. Crawford said as he eyed the ring on Haru's finger.

"He ordered my ring from you?" Haru asked.

"Yes, it took a while to make, but it came out better than I expected."

"It's lovely."

"Thank you, Miss Haru" Mr. Crawford said. "So are you here, by a chance, for the wedding rings?"

"Yes!" Haru said eagerly.

"What kind of rings would you like? I have a lot of different styles" Mr. Crawford said as he gestured to a glass display in the far right corner of the store.

"There is no need to look. Haru and I have already discussed what kind of rings we want" Baron said as he stepped forward. Haru stepped with him.

"We just want plain gold bands" Haru explained. Mr. Crawford nodded. He rubbed his chin in thought.

"Yes, now that you mention it, I do recall either Toto or Muta saying something along those lines" Mr. Crawford said as he bent down behind the counter and searched for something. He came back up with a small box in his hand. "I made these just in case!" Mr. Crawford opened up the box to reveal two gold rings in the box. There was nothing extravagant about them. One was slightly larger than the other, but that was it.

"They are absolutely perfect" Haru gushed as she rushed forward to grab the box. Mr. Crawford chuckled.

"I have never seen a woman so ecstatic over plain gold rings. She is one of a kind, Humbert" Mr. Crawford opinionated. Baron smiled in agreement.

"Indeed, she is."

_Two weeks later…_

Haru was standing in her room getting ready for her wedding which would commence in a few hours. Haru was running her hands up and down the sides of her dress, feeling the fabric. In the mirror Haru was looking at, she could see Yuki, Hiromi, and Abigail behind her. All of them were smiling in the reflection.

"You look beautiful" Yuki said as she stepped forward. Her hands grasped Haru's. Yuki was back in her original form of a human thanks to some temporary magic from Lune. She was wearing a light pink dress that was loose enough to fit over her large stomach. Yuki only had a month left until her due date. Abagail was quite shocked to see the ex-maid with a stomach that looked about six months into the pregnancy. The only explanation Haru and Yuki could come up with to why she was so far along when she showed no signs of pregnancy during her last months in working for Baron was that she knew Lune before he started visiting and that he had gotten her pregnant. Abigail was a little harsh in her scolding, but she didn't say much since she knew that some girls got pregnant at younger ages from their older husbands.

"Haru, I knew you would choose Baron. He's such a gentleman" Hiromi said happily. She went up to Haru and began fluffing up Haru's hair which was in curls. Her cat hair comb was tucked in her hair. Hiromi's fingers traced the design on it lightly. She smirked. "Those girls had nothing on you. You and Baron are made for each other. You both have cat fetishes" Hiromi giggled. She was wearing a dusty orange dress to compliment her redish-brown hair.

The door to Haru's old room opened to reveal Toto and Muta. They were both wearing black tailcoats and trousers. "Are you ready, Chicky?" Muta asked as he stepped into the room. Haru gripped the bouquet in her hand tighter.

"As ready as I'll ever be" she said breathlessly. Her nerves were getting to her. Toto went up to Haru and held his arm out to her. He would be the one leading her down the aisle. Toto led Haru out of room. Muta, Yuki, Abigail, and Hiromi hopped in one coach while Toto and Haru got in another. They travelled all the way from Baron's mansion to the Von Gikkingen Orphanage, where Haru wanted to get married.

When Haru and Baron announced their marriage to the papers and word got out, not everyone was happy. It wasn't because the baron was marrying a peasant girl; it was the location that bothered them. Nobody wanted to go to a place that commoners lived, but that was their decision to come or not. The mayor of the city even tried to persuade them to have the wedding at City Hall. Someone as high up in social class as the baron should have a wedding in a place worthy of the title. Haru shook her head in amusement. No one could change her and Baron's mind.

When the coach pulled to a stop, Toto stepped out and held a hand out for Haru. She grabbed his offered hand and stepped out onto the cobblestone street. Toto led her up to the doors and stopped. He turned to face her. "Muta, Abigail, Hiromi, Tsuge, and Machida went to take their seats. Yuki just needs to get Lune and we can begin" Toto said with a reassuring smile. Haru smiled back. As soon as Haru turned to face the doors, Yuki and Lune appeared around the corner. Yuki went up to Haru and hugged her.

"Good luck" she whispered. She turned back to Lune who was waiting for her. The double doors to the orphanage opened and Yuki and Lune led the procession. Once they got to the end of the aisle, Lune went to stand beside Baron and Yuki stood on the opposite side, mirroring her husband. The wedding march started and Toto stepped forward. Haru followed him step by step, beat by beat, until the end. Toto kissed Haru's hand before going to sit in the spot beside Muta on one of the front benches. Haru let Baron take her hand and led her to stand in front of the priest.

Vows were exchanged as well as rings. And when the priest said to kiss the bride, Baron did so vigorously as well as passionately. Haru laughed as Baron led her outside and to the coach that was waiting. Before she got in, Haru turned around and threw the bouquet. One of the teenage girls from the Von Gikkingen Shelter caught it. She ducked her head, causing her blonde hair to fall in her face, and she blushed. She cast a shy glance at Toto. Toto saw her gaze directed at him, and he blushed. He raised a hand to his eyes trying to avoid the girl's gaze. Muta clapped his friend on the back with a knowing look on his face. Oh, Toto had an admirer. She must have seen him when he visited the Von Gikkingen Shelter with Baron. The girl that caught the bouquet went over to another girl, who had chestnut colored hair, and began talking to her in whispers. She must be the girl's friend. The chestnut hair girl looked up with wide eyes and a blush as she looked at Muta. Toto's embarrassment immediately disappeared and was replaced with a wicked grin. It was Toto's turn to pat Muta on the back. Muta grumbled and turned away.

Haru shook her head at their childish antics. She climbed into the carriage with Baron's assistance. Once the door shut, Haru looked up into Baron's eyes. His eyes sparkled in pure happiness and love. Haru leaned over to kiss him. "Mrs. Von Gikkingen. Baroness Haru Von Gikkingen" he murmured against her lips. Haru giggled and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Humbert" Haru teased. Baron growled and kissed her again. A purr erupted from his throat. Baron pulled Haru close and held onto her.

"My wife."

"My husband."

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**A/N: The story is not over yet. Only a couple chapters left. Please review and tell me what you think. This is the last chance for suggestions for the story. Any scenes you want added, just PM me or review.**


	21. Riddle Me This

_Three months later…_

The nineteen year old brunette rolled around on the floor in one of the sitting rooms as two kittens climbed all over her. Haru giggled as their whiskers skimmed over her skin. Baron, in his full cat form, walked over to Haru and prodded one of the kittens resting on her stomach. He gently picked the kitten up by its scruff, with his teeth, and set it on the floor. The kitten squeaked in protest. Baron meowed something to it and grabbed the next one.

"Is it time to go already?" Haru asked as she brushed the cat fur off her pale purple dress. Baron nodded. Haru looked at the clock, and sure enough it was noon. As the clock chimed, a blue portal opened up. The kittens mewled in glee and darted through the glowing circle. Haru's lips twitch into a smile from amusement and followed the kittens to the Cat Kingdom. Baron stayed where he was and watched the portal close.

Haru wandered down the corridors of the castle. She knew the place like the back of her hand now. Visiting the place every other day had its advantages. Haru had the reading and writing of the language of the cats down too. There were just a few problems she had when it came to different writing styles. She felt proud of herself. "Haru!" a voice called out. Haru turned around to see Lune and Yuki coming towards her.

"Thank you for kittensitting. I hope they weren't too much trouble" Yuki said as her and Lune's two kittens ran up to them.

"Not at all. Baron and I enjoyed watching them. They were so much fun to spend time with" Haru said with a dismissive wave of her hand. Lune grinned.

"Are you and Baron having any kittens anytime soon?" Lune questioned. There was a hint of mirth in his eyes. Haru blushed.

"That's none of your business" Haru said with a childish stamp of her foot. Lune chuckled.

"My apologies for riling you up, Haru"" Lune said with a mock bow.

"Yeah, okay. I'm going to the library. I think I might have found some useful information on what the Von Gikkingen relic is" Haru said in anticipation. Lune nodded his head. His whiskers twitched in amusement at Haru's enthusiasm.

"You better get going then. Do you need Yuki to help translate?" Lune asked.

"If you wouldn't mind" Haru said as she looked over at the white feline.

"Not one bit" Yuki said as she followed her human friend to the library.

"I wouldn't have asked for your help, but I think the words I keep reading are in poem or riddle form. The style of writing is throwing me off" Haru said guiltily.

"Don't worry. You'll get better at it. You almost have it all learned" Yuki said proudly. Haru beamed at her friend.

"Ah, here. It is this little section" Haru said as she pointed to a page in one of the leather bound books. It was a hand written autobiography. Yuki examined the text. She read it aloud to Haru.

"It seems that it is a riddle" Yuki said. "It will be fun to solve."

Haru nodded her head even though she wasn't really paying attention. The words of the text just kept reverberating in her head.

_Of animal or human you shan't be_

_Only one's first true love can be the key_

_To return to norm, she must destroy_

_The hollow sun that holds an eye, a sphere that stops the ploy_

_When it ends, exterior retreats_

_But afterwards, there will still be treats_

"What does that mean?" Haru blurted out in frustration. "It was obviously about Baron's curse. His ancestor must have upset a cat magician and gotten himself turned into a cat. But what does it mean about a hollow sun with an eye?" Yuki shook her head.

"I don't know."

"I think I found the only clue that I will ever find about this mysterious relic. It's not much, but it's better than nothing. Thank you for your help, Yuki. I think I'm done using the castle's library. I read every book that could possibly lead me to clues about Baron's curse, and the riddle is the only useful information I found. There is no point in researching anymore."

"I understand. I'm sure you can figure the riddle out. You're smart. Talk to Baron about it. You can figure it out together. Maybe he'll remember something about the curse when he hears it" Yuki suggested.

"Good idea. Thank you, Yuki, especially for putting up with me when I got frustrated" Haru said as she gave her friend a hug.

"Anytime" Yuki said. "Don't forget to come and visit!"

"I won't" Haru said as she flashed Yuki a glimpse of her engagement ring. Haru touched the cat's eye gem on her ring and a blue portal appeared. Haru stepped through and came out in her and Baron's bedroom. Haru rubbed her ring one more time to close the portal. She was happy that Lune was kind enough to enhance her and Baron's rings so that they could open up portals to the Cat Kingdom. Lune and Baron wanted to make sure that the royal family of the Cat Kingdom and the Von Gikkingens stayed in contact often. Both families wanted their descendants to stay close friends.

Haru sighed as she walked over to her wardrobe. It was brand new and matched Baron's perfectly except that it was a little more feminine looking. Haru rubbed the smooth wood. Her hand stopped its action when the door opened.

"Haru? I didn't know you were coming back so soon, love" Baron said as he walked to Haru's side. Haru smiled up at Baron and wrapped her arms around his waist.

"I decided to stop researching information on your curse in the castle's library. It wasn't helpful. The only helpful thing I found was this riddle about your curse. I couldn't figure it out. I was hoping we could solve it together" Haru said as she stood on her toes to kiss Baron. Baron purred deeply at the sign of affection from Haru. He pulled away with a goofy smile on his face.

"I don't know if I can help, but I'll try my best" Baron declared. Haru nodded frantically and dragged Baron over to the bed. She repeated the riddle to him with precision to make sure she didn't get it wrong and so that he could understand it. "I understand the beginning with having to have my first love break the curse, but the rest is just words to me." Haru frowned and snapped her fingers.

"Drat! That's only how much I understood too" she said. Haru put her chin in her hand in thought. She looked over at Baron, who got up and went over to the window to look outside. No doubt he was thinking about the riddle too. Her eyes focused on his shining gold cat's eye ring. It shimmered in the sun. Haru's eyes widened.

_The hollow sun that holds an eye, a sphere that stops the ploy._

Haru jumped up from the bed and ran over to Baron. She grabbed his shoulder and shook it. "Baron! Baron! Baron! Let me see your cat's eye ring!"

"My ring? Whatever for?" he asked even though he was already slipping it off his finger to hand it to her. His body immediately grew fur. Haru didn't say anything as she took the ring from him and rushed out of the room. She came back a minute or two later with a cast iron skillet in her hand. She had a crazy look in her eye. "Haru, what are you doing?" Baron asked as he eyed the skillet then his ring.

"Trust me" Haru said even though it sounded like she didn't trust herself. Haru set the ring on her dresser and stared at it for a second before raising the skillet above her head.

"Haru, wait! What are you doing?!" Baron said as he rushed forwards to save his ring. If it broke, then he wouldn't have anyway to turn back into a human. The thought scared him. But it was too late. By the time Baron reached for the ring, Haru already brought the skillet down on the family heirloom with force. A sickening thud could be heard. Baron screamed as his body began to glow and his fur painfully retreated back into his skin. Haru rushed to his side. Tears were running down her face.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I didn't know it was going to hurt" Haru sobbed as she latched herself to Baron who was writhing on the floor in agony. After about five minutes of a permanent transformation, Baron stopped wriggling on the floor. Haru squeezed his hand tightly. "Baron? Baron? Are you okay? How do you feel?" Haru asked in a panic. Baron opened his eyes to look at his wife. He choked out a sob of relief.

"Human" he said as he pulled Haru down on top of him. "Thank you." Haru laughed out in relief and kissed Baron on his warm pink lips. Baron began to purr. Haru gasped and pulled away. Her eyes scanned his face. Another line to the riddle came to her.

_But afterwards, there will still be treats._

"I guess when the riddle said there would still be treats, it meant your purr. I wonder if you have other cat qualities. Here, can you understand this?" Haru said as she began making cat noises. Baron's ears twitched at the familiar language.

"You're speaking cat. You just said you loved me" Baron said. Haru grinned.

"So you got to keep your purr, you can understand cats, so I'm guessing you can still read and speak cat too" Haru concluded.

"I suppose so" Baron said as he sat up. Haru got off him and pulled him to his feet. Baron stumbled, but Haru was there to help him stay upright. He looked over at his broken ring on the dresser. Surprisingly, the cat's eye gem was still intact. "I can't believe my family's ring was the relic that the curse was tied to. Who would have guessed that what turned us human was also the thing that made us a half-cat?"

"Maybe that's why no one suspected it to be the relic" Haru said as she picked up the cat's eye gem. "At least the gem is still in good shape. You can get a new ring made and put this back in it. That way you can still use it to go back and forth between our world and the Cat Kingdom." Baron took the gem from Haru and inspected it. It was a little dull looking now. The magic was gone. He handed Haru the gem again as he opened the door with his free hand.

"I think that's a splendid idea" Baron said as he led Haru out of the room. "Let's go now, shall we?"

"Alright" Haru agreed as she and Baron walked down the hallway. They strolled right past a brawling Toto and Muta. Toto and Muta stopped fighting to stare at an overly happy Baron and Haru.

"Haru? Baron?" they asked as the followed the couple to the door. It was only then that they noticed the cat's eye gem in Haru's hand and not on Baron's finger or on a ring. They gawked at the couple.

"B-B-Baron, h-how?" Muta blubbered. Toto reached forward and snatched the gem from Haru's hand. He then grabbed Haru's hand to see her engagement ring. His eyes flickered back and forth between the two gems. He then grabbed Baron's hand. He tore off Baron's white gloves to make sure this wasn't a trick. Shockingly, there was no ring under Baron's gloves either.

"Are you…you know…human?" Toto asked. "Did Haru break the curse?"

"Indeed" Baron said as he raised Haru's hand to his lips and kissed her knuckles. He stared into her eyes lovingly.

"How did you manage that, Chicky?" Muta questioned. Haru smiled and explained what happened from since she woke up to the moment she destroyed the relic. "I always knew you could do it!"

"Thank you" Haru said.

"Good job" Toto agreed.

"If you'll excuse us, Haru and I would like to take get a new ring made for my family's heirloom" Baron cut in.

"You can't go without us!"

"I believe we can" Baron said as he looked down at Haru with a knowing smirk. Haru looked up at him with the same wicked expression. Haru rubbed her cat's eye gem and a blue portal opened up behind them. Baron and Haru stepped back and disappeared as Toto and Muta lunged for them. The portal closed up a second later. Toto and Muta crashed into each other and landed on the ground.

Haru and Baron immediately summoned another portal to appear in the Cat Kingdom, to lead to the jeweler's. Haru sighed out in content as she and Baron entered the human world again. She rested her head on his shoulder. He leaned down and kissed the top of her head. Together they walked into the store.

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**A/N: Next chapter is the last one. It is sort of a last chapter/epilogue thing. I'm not sure what to call it. Please review before the story ends. Also, I know Haru figuring out the curse seems rushed, but she is a smart girl. It wouldn't take her that long to figure everything out.**


	22. Happy Together

Haru groaned as she kicked her legs back and forth in the air. She was sitting in a chair in the corner of Baron's study. She was so bored. "Baron!" Haru whined.

"Haru!" Baron mimicked as he tried to sound like his wife.

"Hey! I do not sound like that" Haru said as she pushed herself up a little in her seat to glare at her husband.

"Sometimes you do" Baron grumbled as he frenziedly filled out papers on his desk. He didn't even spare his wife a glance. Haru ignored her husband's comment. She heaved herself out of the chair and walked over to stand beside Baron. She placed her elbows on his desk and used them to balance herself as she leaned forward to get a look at the documents Baron was filling out.

"What are you working on?" she asked with an innocent bat of her eyelashes.

"Taxes" Baron said in aggravation.

"Need any help?"

"No thank you, love" Baron answered a little distractedly. Haru pushed herself off the desk and went to stand behind Baron's leather red desk chair. She reached over the top to grab Baron's shoulders and neck. He stiffened under the touch, but he relaxed into it as Haru's hands began to knead his muscles. A purr erupted from Baron. His fast paced scribbling slowed down a considerable amount. Now he was calmly reading through the paragraphs of words and marking spots.

"Why don't you take a break? You seem really stressed out" Haru suggested. Baron shook his head.

"I can't. I want to at least finish the taxes by the end of the day" Baron responded. His goal to finish must have inspired or aggravated him more because his writing picked up pace again. Haru sighed. She stopped massaging Baron's shoulders causing him to stop his purring. He looked up at Haru with a pout.

"Haru!" Baron drawled out. Haru put on an emotionless face as she situated herself in front of Baron's desk and climbed on top of it. "What are you doing?" Haru didn't say anything. She crawled across Baron's desk until her face was inches from his. Her brown eyes eyed Baron curiously. Baron drew back from Haru's gaze, causing his back to press against the back of his chair. Haru stretched her arm out so that her hand pushed the back of Baron's chair away from the desk. The chair moved a couple of inches. Haru used the now empty space between the desk and chair to climb on top of Baron and straddle his lap. Baron's hand went to Haru's hips instantly to hold her in place.

"Baron" Haru purred as she placed kisses on Baron's jaw line.

"H-H-Haru! I have work to do. Stop trying to seduce me. You're such a temptress!" Baron stuttered as his head bent back a little at Haru's touch. Haru trailed kisses up the side of Baron's neck and to his ear.

"I'm going out" Haru whispered in Baron's ear.

"W-What?" Baron said in a daze. His eyes were glazed from Haru's teasing. Haru giggled and hopped off Baron's lap. She hurried to stand by the door. She dug her hand around in her pocket and checked the time on her gold pocket watch. The item shone in the light along with Haru's earrings. Baron was stunned at how much Haru looked like she did on the day he met her.

"I'll be back at dinner" she chirped.

"Huh?! Why are you leaving?" Baron said as he stood up from his chair to go over to Haru. Haru rolled her eyes.

"You said you didn't want help, and I said I was bored. Going outside for a stroll seems like a splendid idea. It's such a beautiful day out! Anyhow, I got to go!" Haru explained before rushing out the door, leaving Baron to stare at the spot she was just standing in a few seconds ago.

Baron stood in his study with a dumbfounded expression his face. Bah, forget taxes! They could wait another day. Baron ran out of his study, down the hall, down the stairs, and out the door. He could see Haru skipping away in the distance. Baron used his still attainable cat-like agility to reach Haru's side at an inhuman speed. Haru looked over at Baron with a knowing smirk.

"I knew you'd come. I was going to go see mother's grave. I haven't spoken to her since before the wedding. I feel awful for neglecting her. We can both tell her about how happy we are every day."

"That sounds wonderful, my dear" Baron said as he wrapped an arm around Haru's waist. The couple walked in silence the whole way from the house, out of the city, and to Naoko's grave. Upon reaching the makeshift grave, Haru kneeled down in the dirt. Baron followed her actions. He didn't care about his trousers getting dirty. They could always be washed.

"Hello, mother! Guess what? Baron and I got married! Isn't that magnificent? You always told me to find a family that would take me in, but I bet you didn't expect the man I spent my days with to be the person I'd end up living with. He's wonderful, mother. My name isn't Haru Yoshioka now. Now it is Baroness Haru Von Gikkingen. I have a title now and everything. I hope you're happy for me. I know I'm happy" Haru said as a lone tear ran down her cheek. Baron wiped the tear away with his thumb.

"I'm sure she's proud of you" Baron said. Haru smiled at Baron gratefully. She grabbed his hand and held it. The two sat in the dirt staring at the grave telling stories to Naoko. Haru's head leaned against Baron's shoulder as she laughed at something he said. Baron grinned and kissed Haru on the cheek. She blushed and returned the gesture with a kiss of her own but on the lips. When they pulled apart, Baron and Haru leaned against each other and watched the sunset from atop the small hill. There is always an end and a beginning to everything.

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**A/N: End of story. Tell me your overall opinion. All your continued support was appreciated. Until next time!**


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